The Judicial Council of Río Negro analyzes the coverage of positions that generate a lot of interest in the Alto Valle. A chamber prosecutor’s office for Roca and the juvenile defense office in Cipolletti are on the rise, although there is also a significant attempt at an exodus for Neuquén. So far it is more of a wish than a reality, but the trend of officials from Río Negro seeking positions in the neighboring province is growing. The main reason points to the salary gap that exceeds 40%, but there are also other variables such as the workload and a Superior Court of Justice with more lax controls.
In recent weeks, the Judicial Branch of Río Negro has opened several competitions with a clear message: positions are only filled by retirements or resignations. This is because the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) imposed itself resolution 800 as a measure to contain public spending.
But in this context, a wave of resignations is noted, many especially in Alto Valle, linked to the interest generated by the Judicial Branch of Neuquén. Several factors come together: the salary is 40 percent higher because it is subject to indexation, the workload is six hours (in Río Negro it is eight) and the controls are more lax. In fact,The Neuquén Bar Association kicked the board due to the level of delays, especially in the Labor jurisdiction..
In return, the Judicial Branch of Río Negro has a strict mechanism for controlling deadlines and this is reflected in the high activity of the Judicial Council in matters of political trials. It holds the country’s record for judges dismissed for delay and misconduct.
In fact, a judge from Roca resigned when he learned that the investigator was the legislator Luca Pica., who also contributes from his role to that control mechanism. In the last two weeks, the pro-government deputy asked that a defender of Cipolletti and a judge from Viedma who already has a summary underway be investigated.
In this scenario, Neuquén is offered as a temptation for officials who have already left or who are in competition, such as the case of criminal defender Juan Pablo Piombo. He has a high chance of being appointed, although execution judge Lucas Lizzi tried his luck (although happiness did not accompany him) as did deputy prosecutors and defenders and even a secretary of Cipolletti’s civil jurisdiction who managed to take over as chamber secretary in Neuquén.
The “transfer market” is on the rise, although in only one direction. All roads point to the oil province. However, so far no one has managed to access a hierarchical position in Neuquén. The latest precedent is that of Pablo Repetto who in 2017 was sworn in as a defender but in the Federal Jurisdiction. He was a criminal judge in Cipolletti.
Wave of judicial contests in Río Negro
But internally, Río Negro also goes through many contests. A few days ago in Bariloche the Contentious Administrative jurisdiction was completed, a debt that the Judiciary had been carrying since the reform of the Constitution in 1988. The chambers, which had been decimated due to retirements and deaths, were also completed.
In Viedma, electoral judge Carlos Da Silva took over as deputy due to the suspension of Gustavo Guerra Labayen, who is being investigated for delays but also dragged the entire Labor Chamber into a conflict with the forum’s lawyers.
In Roca, the position of Family Court judge is being contested, following the dismissal of Moira Revsin, who was accused of a combination that included delays, mistreatment and modifications of public documents in the Judicial Office. But the high-ranking position of chamber prosecutor left by Andrés Nelli after his retirement is also being filled.
Among the candidates there are new profiles, such as the case of the prosecutor Gastón Britos Rubiolo who already tried to make the jump to trial judge, and that of the prosecutor Belén Calarco who was involved in a conflict due to her statements in the case involving the journalist Emiliano Gatti. The prosecutor of Cipolletti Martin Pezzetta, who has a record in solving homicides, is playing everything. He set the bar very high after inheriting the position from Marcelo Gómez, currently a trial judge.
But what benefits Pezzetta also harms him because the Fourth District will not want to release a prosecutor with such a high degree of effectiveness in a city punished for unsolved crimes.
Many prosecutors for a defense office
In Cipolletti, the vacancy left by the retirement of Élida Rodríguez in the juvenile defense office is being filled, whose workload is minimal: they have ten files with accused minors. The departure of the official caused dissent in the field of criminal defense because the general defender Ariel Alice discretionally granted subrogation to Piombo. Attorney General Jorge Crespo endorsed that decision, although the lawyer is very close to leaving his position. Who will be suborganized? What criteria will be used this time? Questions without answers.
What is known is that the prosecutor’s office is looking very favorably on this position. Never before has a position in a juvenile defense office had so many applicants: competing with the natural candidate, who is the deputy Victoria Hernández, are the deputy prosecutors Vanina Bravo, Anabella Camporessi, Yesica Montenegro and a secretary of the Judicial Office Silvina Tasat. Piombo, very close to reaching the Neuquén defense office, did not apply for this position. The cloud of doubt hovers: is the position of interest or the low workload?
The STJ put its finger on the sore spot with this matter and in a recent ruling criticized the role of the defenders of juveniles in criminal cases because they only adhere to the opinion of the prosecutor’s office. On the other hand, the two defenders of juveniles handle 90 percent of family cases, civil courts and labor courts. Occupational hazards.
