Judicial scandal: the judge in the Maradona case owed more than $3 million in fines

Amid the most high-profile trial of recent years, Judge Julieta Makintach was removed from the case regarding the death of Diego Armando Maradona. But her name resurfaced for another reason: she had accumulated more than $3 million in unpaid traffic fines.

According to official records, Makintach owed $2.1 million for penalties in Buenos Aires Province and another $880,000 in the City. The violations, mostly for speeding, were associated with a white Ford EcoSport.

A record of violations that was never solved

Over the past three years, the judge recorded at least 18 unpaid fines in both districts. The penalties were still active and many had already expired, which demonstrated a repeated pattern of violations.

In Buenos Aires Province, she has accumulated eight offenses dating from 2022 to May 2025. Each one ranges from $212,000 to $425,000. None are listed as paid.

In the City of Buenos Aires, she has ten more violations. Nine for driving at unauthorized speeds and one for using a cell phone while driving. Each fine costs around $109,743, totaling a debt of about $880,000.

Everything is linked to a vehicle registered in Makintach's name. None of the fines had been settled, nor were there any records of appeals. The judge, obligated to uphold the law due to her institutional role, ignored even the most basic traffic regulations.

Trial annulled and back to square one

The scandal over the fines erupted in the same week Makintach was recused from the trial over Maradona's death. Her participation in a documentary about the case raised alarms and forced her removal.

Criminal Oral Court No. 3 of San Isidro annulled the trial after the recusal. The other two judges, Maximiliano Savarino and Verónica Di Tomasso, decided to recuse themselves, which required a new drawing of magistrates.

Savarino pointed directly at Makintach: "The only person responsible for this situation is the recused judge." He noted that 40 witnesses and one defendant had already been heard, but impartiality was compromised.

Meanwhile, Di Tomassoquoted Maradona himself: "Justice can't be stained," thus ending her involvement in the case.

Now, the process must go back to hearing 338. All testimonies and evidence obtained so far have been invalidated. Even the most sensitive statements—such as those related to the autopsy, his mental health, and the environment surrounding Maradona—must be repeated from scratch.

The trial that was supposed to seek justice for one of the country's most iconic figures ended up mired in a new chapter of irregularities. With a judge who, beyond her role in the case, also showed a personal record that violates the law.