An Argentine judge has been dismissed from the bench after her involvement in a documentary project led to a mistrial in the high-profile negligence case over the death of football legend Diego Maradona.
On Tuesday, a special panel composed of judges, lawyers and provincial legislators voted to remove Julieta Makintach, 48, from her post and bar her from holding any judicial position in the future.
Makintach had been one of three judges presiding over the now-annulled trial, which focuses on whether members of Maradona’s medical team were criminally negligent in the care they provided before his death in 2020.
The judge was forced to recuse herself after it emerged that she had been interviewed for a miniseries about the case, raising serious concerns about impartiality and potential breaches of judicial ethics.
Makintach initially denied participating in or authorising any filming linked to the documentary. However, local media later broadcast footage appearing to show her speaking with a film crew on the eve of the trial’s opening, undermining her claims and prompting disciplinary action.
The negligence case stems from Maradona’s death on 25 November 2020, at the age of 60, just two weeks after undergoing brain surgery for a blood clot. The Argentine icon, who had long battled cocaine and alcohol addiction, died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema. He was found dead in his bed by a day nurse at a private residence where he had been recuperating.
Prosecutors argue that Maradona’s medical team failed in their duty of care, describing the treatment and supervision he received in his final days as “grossly negligent.”
The defendants — who face charges of “homicide with possible intent” — could be sentenced to between eight and 25 years in prison if convicted. The charge suggests they pursued a course of action despite knowing it could lead to Maradona’s death.
A central focus of the proceedings has been the decision to allow Maradona to recover at home with minimal medical equipment and limited supervision, rather than in a fully equipped medical facility.
With Makintach’s removal and the original trial annulled, the high-stakes case surrounding the final days of one of football’s greatest figures faces further delays, as Argentina’s justice system moves to restore confidence in the integrity of the process.
