Clara Medeiras

Clara Medeiras
21st President of the Serenacy of Carinansia
In office September 13, 2158 – December 9, 2158
Preceded by	Julio Serrano
Succeeded by	Samuel Lopes Belluci
Vice President of Carinansia
In office June 25, 2157 – September 13, 2158
President	Julio Serrano
Preceded by	Juan Pablo Fernandez
Succeeded by	Isaias Flores Nieto
Governor of Haxith
In office October 13, 2151 – October 13, 2156
Preceded by	Martin Gutierrez
Succeeded by	Martin Gayoso
National Attorney of Tlanukoy
In office March 29, 2127 – July 1, 2135
Preceded by	Martin Gutierrez
Succeeded by	Martin Gayoso
Personal details
Born	(2098-01-06)January 6, 2098 Alipiri, Haxith, Carinansia
Died	December 11, 2192(2192-12-11) (aged 94) Tlajoyotl, Tadea, Carinansia
Resting place	Eden Cemetery, Haxith, Carinansia
Political party	Party for the Cárinansian Revolution
Spouse	Bohuslav Tichy
Children	6 children
Parent	Juan Carlos Medeiras (father) Maria Fernandez (mother)
Alma mater	Revolutionary College of Oligi (LLB, LLM)
Occupation	Politician, attorney

Clara Medeiras (January 6, 2098 - December 11, 2192) was a Carinansian politician and attorney who briefly served as the 21st President of Carinansia for under three months in 2158, after succeeding Julio Serrano following his assassination by a member of the separatist organistion HLST. She was removed from office following a special impeachment by the National Congress, after extensive corruption during her tenure came to light, including accepting government kickbacks and cronyism. She previously served as the Vice President of Carinansia under Julio Serrano from 2157 to 2158, and as Governor of Haxith from 2151 to 2156.

Early life

Career

Medeiras' legal career began in 2122 when she worked as a law clerk under Judge Silvana Fraga of the Serene Court of Appeals 3rd District for two years. Then, in 2124, she worked as a trial attorney for 6 months in the Attorney General's honours program, prosecuting violations of federal criminal statutes, including several prominent corruption cases, cybercrime, and environmental violations cases. She was enlisted as a fulltime attorney by 2125, joining the Special Investigations Division. During this time, she handled various high-profile cases concerning organised crime and corporate malfeasance.

In 2127, she was appointed by President Sara Sofia Agramonte to serve as one of the youngest ever National Attorneys, working as the National Attorney of Tlanukoy. In this capacity, she spearheaded governmental efforts to combat corruption and charging figures who had long evaded justice, including the prominent mafia godfather, Juan Tokama. She remained in the position until 2135, when she tendered her resignation, seeking to enter private practice instead.

She entered into practice as a senior partner at Delgado & Quinn LLP, specialising in intellectual property law, with an emphasis on patent law, establishing a reputation as one of the foremost experts in the field within Carinansia. Her expertise in patent law coincided with a period of rapid technological innovation within the Agramonte era, representing inventors, startups, and multinational corporations in several cases, one of which reached the Supreme Court in Alvarez v Kim. She remained at the firm until 2151, which was renamed to Delgado & Medeiras LLP after she became a name partner in 2146.

Outside the attorney profession, she became an outspoken advocate for reform in the patent system, arguing for a greater need for accessibility and equity, that the system should better represent independent inventors, which was detailed in several publications in the Tlajoyotl Law Journal.

Governor of Haxith (2151-2156)

After a long campaign beginning in early 2150, she secured the governorship after a tight race against incumbent Martin Gutierrez, winning with 52.4% of the state popular vote. During her time in office, she campaigned heavily on the expansion of sustainable practices in the state's cities, and expansion of education programs. As a result of her All Children Matter Program, she managed to greatly improve schooling outcomes in the state to the 5th best in the country, from 25th best when she was inaugurated.

Presidency (2158)

Medeiras's presidency was characterized by immediate difficulties in maintaining a stable cabinet. Her administration faced widespread discontent following racist remarks she privately made to aides which were later leaked, which sparked national and international criticism. As a result, several key cabinet members resigned, further destabilizing her government. Despite these issues, Medeiras managed to pass a significant reform bill during her tenure. This legislation expanded upon the existing infrastructure program passed by her predecessor, with a special focus placed on replacing aging infrastructure constructed during the presidency of Sebastião Rodrigo Madero Lourenço several decades prior. However, this achievement was overshadowed by the controversies that plagued her presidency.

Medeiras's presidency came to an abrupt end following revelations of extensive corruption. OSI uncovered that she had accepted government kickbacks and engaged in cronyism, awarding contracts and positions to close allies in exchange for personal gain. These findings led to a special impeachment proceeding by the National Congress, removing her from office by a single vote, instead of the longer conventional process involving an impeachment probe and the establishment of a congressional Impeachment Committee. Five days later, she was taken into federal custody and placed on trial in Tlajoyotl.

Post-presidency

Incarceration

During the trial, she made a plea of no contest to the various charges levied against her, including; accepting CAR$11.3 million in gifts and campaign contributions, appointing several unqualified individuals to cabinet positions (such as her sister to the position of Secretary of the Treasury), and receiving kickbacks from contractors used to begin the terms of her infrastructure bill. Presiding judge Julia Arboleda refused to accept this plea, and proceeded with a trial. She was refused bail and remained at the Tlajoyotl Serene Prison for the duration of the trial.

After a month, she was found guilty on all counts, and sentenced to 17 years and 4 months imprisonment at the Tunegra Medium Security Prison, with no possibility of parole.

Release

After her release in 2176, Medeiras moved to Tlajoyotl, where she worked as an independent pro bono criminal defense attorney for several high-profile cases, including the Green Lake Killer. She remained working in this capacity until 2188, when she retired altogether. During this time, she authored her autobiography, Shadows and Reflections, which was published in 2181. She used the earnings from the novel to finance her career. She received a presidential pardon Maria Rodriguez in 2182.