‘God’s judge’ resigns in Argentina

Julieta Makintach is no longer a judge. Until now, the 47-year-old legal expert was a sitting member of the court that was determining whether or not there was criminal negligence in the death of the soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona in 2020. But Makintach resigned on Tuesday after finding herself at the center of the biggest judicial scandal of the year in Argentina.

The Attorney General’s Office has revealed that Makintach authorized the recording of images inside the courthouse during the negligence trial for Maradona’s death, without the consent of the other two members of the court or the parties involved, with the goal of using this footage for a forthcoming documentary series titled Divine Justice. The judge was to be the star of this audiovisual project, according to the trailer and the script found in the production company’s offices. In the wake of the scandal, the court declared a mistrial, and Makintach is facing a barrage of complaints.

Makintach submitted her resignation letter the same day the impeachment jury began reviewing the case. In the letter addressed to the governor of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, she asserts that she is voluntarily stepping down in the context of “the publicly known events that have generated a profound institutional and social impact.” Makintach wrote that her decision seeks to reduce the damage caused to public trust in the judiciary.

Calls for her arrest

Once Kicillof accepts her resignation, she will lose her immunity, and the courts will be free to investigate her. Fernando Burlando, a lawyer representing Maradona’s older daughters, announced that he will request prison for Makintach. “This resignation took away whatever could have protected her from arrest. We are going to ask the prosecutor to endorse this request,” Burlando said in an interview with Radio Rivadavia.

Earlier this month, the Attorney General of Buenos Aires Province, Julio Conte Grand, filed a complaint against Makintach with the Permanent Secretariat for the Prosecution of Magistrates and Judicial Officials. Conte Grand stated that there is evidence that proves that the judge’s conduct was motivated by purely personal gain. “It is regrettable that she used the judiciary and, ultimately, the power granted to her by the State, to achieve this,” referring to that gain.

Among the irregularities reported by the Attorney General were her violation of the filming ban imposed by the very same court she served on, and her deliberate lies when she denied her participation in the documentary. Both the plaintiff’s attorneys and those working for the seven defendants accused of negligence in Maradona’s death agreed that Makintach had acted with manifest bias and requested the declaration of a mistrial, which was granted.

The new trial has no start date yet, but the new court that will oversee the proceedings has already been selected. It will be Court No. 7 in the town of San Isidro, composed of Roberto Gaig, Alejandro Gago, and Alberto Ortolani. They will request new evidence, hear witnesses and defendants, and determine whether Maradona’s death, which occurred on November 25, 2020, could have been avoided.

According to the prosecutors who investigated the case, the former soccer star was “in a situation of helplessness” and “left to his own devices” due to the poor performance of the medical professionals in charge of his rehabilitation after undergoing cranial surgery. Four doctors, two nurses, and a psychologist face sentences of between eight and 25 years in prison.

Maradona, who died at the age of 60, led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, with his famous “Hand of God” goal. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.

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