Bizarre Courtroom Scene: Judge Swigs Wine from the Bottle and Lights a Cigarette with a Blowtorch!

THIS is the moment a judge swigged wine straight from the bottle and lit a cigarette with a blowtorch during a virtual court hearing.

The footage of the brazen judge was recorded during a session of the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil.

Milton Livio Lemos Salles, who was head of a criminal court in Belo Horizonte for 17 years, derailed the court schedule on August 10 after participants witnessed him downing wine from the bottle.

It was also reported that he was wearing shorts that can’t be seen in the video.

Later, he used a blowtorch to light a cigarette and can be seen clamped between his fingers in front of the camera.

The judge has not explained why he was drinking and during the meeting.

The schedule for that day had 15 cases to be heard but it fell short by three due to judge’s bohemian behaviour.

The outstanding hearings have now been pushed back to August 28 with another judge to be brought in to handle the rest of Mr Salles’s cases.

The Minas Gerais court slammed the gavel on his fate by immediately suspending Mr Salles the very next day with an launched into his conduct.

The suspension means that Mr Salles will be banned from attending the premises of the court and logging into the electronic systems of the institution.

Gustavo Chalfun, President of the Minas Gerais Bar Association, supported the decision to bar him from the courts, adding that the behaviour was incompatible with the sobriety expected from a member of the judiciary.

After the footage sparked fury online, Mr Salles posted a video claiming that he was a victim of “defamation”.

In the recording, he said: “I’m in Rio, having my coffee and enjoying time with my wife.”

“I know a lot about this court.”

“If anyone wants to confront me, on , on the National Journal, whatever it may be, I am available.”

He then accused Brazil’s Superior Court justice, Supreme Federal Court, Justice Alexandre de Moraes and judges in Minas Gerais, of corruption.

He said: “They are all corrupt, sons of b******. I speak as a judge with knowledge of the facts.”

One of the allegations he reportedly made involved the buying up of 170 hybrid Toyota Corolla cars for officials, but he provided no evidence to back up his claim.

A special body of the Minas Gerais court was due to consider Mr Salles’s case today August 12.

An investigation into the judge’s conduct during the virtual hearing continues.

There have also been past reports of Mr Salles’ allegedly appearing drunk at a female judge’s home while discussing a case.

His former partner also requested a separate protective order on the judge due to alleged threats and intimidation that they reported to the in April.

No physical assault was alleged in the police report.

Originally from Belo Horizonte, Mr Salles is the son of retired judge Tibagy Salles Oliveira, who presided over the now-defunct Court of Appeals of Minas Gerais between 1998-2000.

He graduated from Milton Campos Law School in 1989.