Judge in Maradona homicide trial steps down after documentary controversy
One of the three judges in the trial of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of Diego Maradona stepped down from the proceedings on Tuesday after becoming embroiled in controversy for having taken part in the making of a documentary about the case.
Advertisement
Julieta Makintach withdrew from the San Isidro court handling the case after the prosecutor showed footage of a documentary that spans the first moments after the soccer star's death in 2020 to the start of the trial more than two months ago, in which the judge appears as one of its lead characters.
Following Makintach's resignation, the other two judges will have to decide how the case will proceed.
The trial was suspended for a week after prosecutor Patricio Ferrari asked the court to review Makintach's role in allegedly allowing the documentary to be filmed during the trial.
04:04
Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona dies of heart attack at age 60
Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona dies of heart attack at age 60
Leopoldo Luque, Maradona's primary doctor at the time of the star's death and one of the main defendants, had requested Makintach's removal from the trial.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Australia's Erin Patterson, accused of 3 murders, testifies over mushroom poisoning
The woman accused of murdering three members of her ex-husband's family by serving them poisonous mushrooms has taken the stand at an Australian court on Monday as the highly publicised triple murder trial nears its conclusion. Erin Patterson, 50, is accused of killing her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, and also of attempting to murder Wilkinson's husband, Ian, 68, after the four consumed a meal at Patterson's home in Victoria state in July 2023. She could face 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge, while murder in the state of Victoria carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Her lawyer, Colin Mandy, previously told the Victorian state Supreme Court during the six-week trial that the poisoning was accidental. Patterson's appearance as a defence witness on Monday marked the first time the 50-year-old has spoken since pleading not guilty to all charges in May last year. She served meals of beef Wellington, mashed potato and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongartha on July 29, 2023. All four guests were hospitalised the next day with poisoning from death cap mushrooms, also known as amanita phalloides, that were added to the beef and pastry dish.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Reborn doll craze for lifelike babies in Brazil stirs emotions, sparks debate in Congress
Gabi Matos looks the quintessential doting mum as she changes Ravi's nappy, cooing reassuringly as he stares up at her. Advertisement But this Brazilian 'newborn' does not seem to mind having his nappy changed. In fact, he has no real emotions whatsoever. Ravi is a hyperrealistic doll with an eerie resemblance to an actual infant. Some of the so-called 'reborn' dolls cry, suck dummies, pee, and have nails, eyelashes and veins. But what really sets them apart from traditional dolls with waxy, smooth complexion is their puckered features and blotchy skin. Advertisement Blink and you could mistake the bundle in the stroller in Rio de Janeiro for the real thing.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- South China Morning Post
How Netflix hit The Eternaut brings real past horrors home in Argentina
A group of friends gather to play cards in their host's cosy home when the power cuts. Mobile phones die. An eerie snow falls all over the city, killing everyone it touches. The friends struggle to survive, their panic replaced by a growing awareness that humanity itself is at stake. Advertisement This is the premise of The Eternaut, a chilling dystopian drama out of Argentina that is streaming on Netflix. With its mix of sci-fi elements and focus on human resilience, the six-episode, Spanish-language series has struck a universal nerve, rocketing to No 1 among Netflix's most-streamed non-English-language TV shows within days. Netflix has already renewed the show for a second season, with filming scheduled to start in 2026. Ricardo Darin plays lead character Juan Salvo in a still from The Eternaut. Photo: Reuters But The Eternaut has touched on something deeper in Argentina, where legendary comic-strip writer Hector German Oesterheld penned the original graphic novel in 1957 – two decades before he was 'disappeared' by Argentina's military dictatorship, along with all four of his daughters. Advertisement Abroad, publishers are scrambling to keep pace with renewed interest in the source material. US-based Fantagraphics said it would reissue an out-of-print English translation because of the surge in US demand.
