Sócrates seeks a new lawyer and blames the court: "Should I demand a pledge of honour that she will not get pneumonia?"

The main defendant in Operation Marquês is formally without the lawyer he chose and believes that José Preto could have continued in the trial if there had been a “minimum of personal consideration and human tact” from the panel of judges presided over by Susana Seca. In a motion filed with the court, José Sócrates rejects the court‑appointed lawyer and accuses her of not even having tried to review the case file.