A judge in Argentina has stood down from the trial of Diego Maradona’s medical staff after being criticised for taking part in a documentary about the case.
Seven members of the legendary footballer’s medical team have been charged with negligent homicide relating to his death in 2020. They deny the allegations.
Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari accused Judge Julieta Makintach of behaving “like an actress and not a judge”.
She was one of three judges in the case which has been adjourned. A decision about whether a new trial will be ordered will be made on Thursday.
Maradona had been recovering at his home in Buenos Aires from surgery on a brain blood clot in November 2020 when he died of a heart attack, aged 60.
Prosecutors allege his death could have been avoided and describe the care given as “reckless, deficient and unprecedented”.
The medical team on trial includes a neurosurgeon, a doctor and a night nurse. They claim the football star refused further treatment and should have stayed at home for longer after his operation.
If convicted, they face between eight and 25 years in prison.
The long-awaited trial began on 11 March and was expected to last until July however its future has been thrown into doubt.
Judge Makintach said she had “no choice” but to excuse herself from the case.
It is a violation of court rules for unauthorised filming to take place.
As a trailer for the documentary series Divine Justice was played in court, defence lawyer Rodolfo Baque shouted “trash!” at Judge Makintach.
Maradona’s daughter Gianinna and his former partner Veronica Ojeda both cried after seeing the footage.
Ms Ojeda’s lawyer Mario Baudry said there was a feeling that the case had now been “compromised” and it was “healthiest to start over from scratch”.
The court will decide whether the trial can continue with a new judge or whether it will have to start again from the beginning.
In July, an eighth member of Maradona’s medical team will face a separate trial by jury.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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