Judge's resignation disrupts Maradona death trial

Argentine judge Julieta Macintosh, known in the media as the "scandal judge," announced her resignation from her position over her unauthorized participation in a documentary about the death of football legend Diego Maradona, which led to the annulment of legal proceedings and her removal from the case. The resignation coincided with the appointment of three new judges to reopen the trial at a yet-to-be-determined date, after the previous two-and-a-half-month trial was annulled. In a letter sent by her lawyer to the Buenos Aires provincial authorities, the judge expressed regret for the "profound institutional and social impact" of her errors, stating that her resignation was in the interest of restoring public confidence and the prestige of the judiciary. The court had decided to annul the previous trial after its presiding judge, Judge Maximiliano Savarino, deemed Macintosh's conduct to the detriment of both the prosecution and defense, as a result of her breach of ethical rules by participating in the documentary series. The case stems from Maradona's death on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, while convalescing following head surgery. Seven members of the medical team are being tried for "possible premeditated murder," which could result in prison sentences of between 8 and 25 years if convicted of negligence resulting in death. The prosecution, prosecutors, and defense lawyers have requested a retrial before a new panel, citing clear legal flaws in the previous proceedings.