Fernando Romero Nuñez Nearly a month after she recused from the case over Diego Maradona’s death, Judge Julieta Makintach filed her resignation from her position on Tuesday. The judge, who left the case amid controversy around an unauthorized documentary, faces an impeachment complaint filed against her.
Makintach filed the resignation from her position as judge, meaning she’d be removed from her place at the San Isidro 2nd Criminal Court, where she worked before joining the court that took the Maradona case. She had previously recused herself from the case, but remained in position as a judge.
The judge, who was under a 90-day suspension from duties by the Buenos Aires Province Supreme Court, faces impeachment charges. That process is set to start on June 24.
The focus is on alleged irregularities committed by Makintach, who allegedly used her position to participate in a documentary entitled “Divine Justice” (Justicia Divina, by its Spanish translation) around the Maradona case trial. If her resignation is accepted, the case would be dismissed.
Null trial and new court
The trial for the death of Diego Maradona was annulled on May 29, after the two remaining members of the San Isidro 3rd Criminal Court, Maximiliano Savarino and Verónica Di Tommaso took the decision.
The former said at the announcement that Makintach had taken part in “multiple discussions with witnesses and lawyers” during breaks in the daily proceedings, “in detriment of all parts, and marking the nullity of the debate.”
On June 19, a new court for the case was designated via random draw. The case fell in the hands of San Isidro 7th Criminal Court, headed by Roberto Gaig, Alejandro Lago, and María Cohelo.
However, Cohelo chose to step down, due to her involvement in another case involving one of the accused of the star’s death, namely the trial by jury of nurse Dahiana Madrid.
Cohelo will be replaced by Judge Alberto Ortolani, but there is no date for the start of the proceedings yet.
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