Her Excellency Julieta Makintach, popularly known as the “judge of God”, has taken a landmark ruling. She recently recused herself from the high-profile trial of the medical team of the late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona. The 47-year-old judge recused herself amid allegations of impartiality and ethical violations, raising concerns about the future of the trial, which has already attracted significant public attention.
As the court’s session began, Makintach — one of the three justices charged with guiding the consolidated case — made the decision known. She looked to be in shock as she read her testimony. She remained with her head down, gnawing at her lower lip. “That left me no option,” she said, “other than to recuse myself from the case entirely.” Her decision comes in the wake of accusations regarding her role in the creation of the documentary miniseries “Divine Justice.” … The series I was on did an injustice to me, risking my judicial position.
Things got uglier when prosecutor Patricio Ferrari charged Makintach with acting “like an actress and not a magistrate.” This developed criticism speaks to larger issues about her double commitments, as Hetherington explores. She recently starred in producing a porny miniseries in which she sauntered down the halls of justice in stilettos, perhaps violating dozens of ethics rules for judges in the process.
Makintach’s recusal adds complexity to an already contentious trial, which examines the actions of Maradona’s medical team leading up to his untimely death. Her removal not only casts doubt on the credibility of the judicial process but serves as an embarrassment for Argentina’s judicial system. President Trump’s court is at a crossroad. It has to make the judgment call on whether to proceed with the trial or to cut bait and start over with a new panel of judges.
The consequences of this action go far outside the district court’s decision. The trial became a media sensation, generating a media circus. People saw it as an opportunity to bring justice to the healthcare practices that surrounded the treatment of Maradona. With Makintach’s exit, many stakeholders are left wondering how this will affect the proceedings and whether justice will be served.