Argentine judge fired after documentary appearance causes mistrial in high-profile soccer case

A special panel of judges, lawyers and provincial legislators in Argentina on Tuesday fired a judge and disqualified her from serving on the bench in the future, after her appearance in a documentary miniseries about a star-studded case caused a mistrial.

Julieta Makintach was one of three judges involved in a negligence case against the late soccer legend Diego Maradona's medical team. Maradona died in 2020 from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema two weeks after undergoing brain surgery.

The case against the star's medical team centered on accusations that the soccer player's care in the final days of his life were grossly negligent, according to CBS News. 

The medical team, which includes a neurosurgeon, a doctor and a night nurse, claimed the star refused further treatment but should have remained at home to recover longer. The medical team also allegedly allowed Maradona to recover with minimal supervision at his home and with limited medical equipment.

Mackintach was accused of acting more like an actress than a judge in her handling of the case, after footage showed her allegedly being interviewed by a film crew on the night before the trial. 

The former judge has denied participating in or authorizing any filming for a documentary about the case, but later recused herself from the trial over the allegations, which would have violated multiple ethics rules.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.