Judge in Maradona homicide trial steps down amid scandal
Julieta Makintach was one of three judges in the trial of seven medical team members accused of negligence in the football legend’s death
One of the three Argentine judges presiding in the trial of seven members of Diego Maradona’s medical team charged with negligent homicide in the soccer star’s 2020 death stepped down from the case on Tuesday amid accusations of ethical breaches, leaving the future of the proceedings uncertain.
Judge Julieta Makintach stood down from the case after video surfaced in recent days showing her apparently being interviewed by a camera crew as part of a documentary in the corridors of the Buenos Aires courthouse and in her office.
Court rules forbid such interviews involving a judge mid-trial.
The trial began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is a revered figure.
The defendants have denied the charges of “simple homicide with eventual intent” in Maradona’s treatment. If convicted, they could face prison sentences of between eight and 25 years.
“This is a judicial tragedy,” Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona’s eldest daughters, Dalma and Gianinna, told reporters on Tuesday, referring to the judge’s behaviour.
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