The trial for the Operação Marquês case resumes this Tuesday, March 17, in Lisbon, following a three-week break—the third caused by the resignation of a lawyer representing former Prime Minister José Sócrates. This is the first time a former head of government has stood trial for corruption in Portugal. The 21 defendants, including former banker Ricardo Salgado and former minister Armando Vara, face 117 charges of corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud related to events between 2005 and 2014. Sócrates himself faces 22 charges. The trial faces significant procedural challenges, including potential statute of limitations issues and a recurring cycle of lawyer resignations, which has led the court to schedule sessions for listening to previous testimonies to allow new legal counsel time to prepare.