An Argentine judge was removed from her position on Tuesday (18) after she caused a mistrial due to negligence against the medical team of the late soccer star Diego Armando Maradona, due to her participation in a documentary about the case.
A special committee of judges, lawyers and provincial lawmakers removed Julietta McIntash, 48, from her position and barred her from holding any other judicial position in the future.
McIntash was one of three judges in the now-canceled trial that followed Maradona’s death in 2020 while recovering from brain surgery to remove a blood clot after decades of battling cocaine and alcohol addiction.
She declared herself banned after information emerged that she was being interviewed for a mini-series on the issue, which may violate a series of ethical rules.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, two weeks after undergoing surgery.
A nurse found him dead in his bed.
Maradona’s medical team is being evaluated regarding the conditions of his recovery period in a private residence.
Prosecutors described the care the football icon received in his final days as gross negligence.
The defendants face prison sentences of between eight and 25 years if convicted of “culpable homicide” – for pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to death.
The case so far has centered on Maradona’s doctors’ decision to allow him to recover at home with minimal supervision and medical equipment, rather than in a medical facility.
McIntash denied participating or allowing any documentary to be filmed about the case, but footage published by Argentine media showed her interviewing a camera crew on the eve of the start of the trial.
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