The judge denied having acted with bias, spoke of a 'noble purpose,' and stated that she will not step aside from the case despite the controversy over the recordings
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Judge Julieta Makintach broke her silence after the strong accusations linking her to the filming of a documentary about the trial over the death of Diego Armando Maradona, in which she serves as part of the Oral Criminal Court No. 3 of San Isidro. Amid the scandal and with the possibility of being removed from the case, the magistrate acknowledged a mistake but denied having engaged in bias or improper conduct.
The controversy erupted after it emerged that images were being secretly recorded during the oral proceedings. In response, Makintach defended herself: "Maybe I made a mistake, but the paradigm of speaking only through rulings hasn't worked for a long time. I'm seeking to bring justice closer to society; that was my noble purpose."
She also clarified that there is no direct complaint against her and stated that the investigation against her didn't find any compromising elements. "I don't see any unlawful acts for which I have to give an explanation," she said.
Makintach considera que no hubo hechos ilícitos
Regarding the material that circulated in the media, she explained that it was unedited content without formal authorization. "I gave an interview to a childhood friend. That material was raw; it wasn't authorized for formal channels. It was on a Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Does that make it forbidden?" she argued, and added: "I understand it may seem hidden, but I didn't notice anything irregular about coming in to work on a weekend."
She also ruled out the possibility of recusing herself from the trial or declaring the process null and reported a media campaign against her. "There is no crime, nor misconduct. Yes, there is a major media operation. I'm not going to recuse myself or step aside because I didn't do anything irregular," she said.
Finally, she emphasized her impartiality and stated that she still doesn't have a defined position in the trial: "No one can tell me that I have a bias toward any of the parties because even I haven't yet reached a conviction. This debate is just beginning, and not even my pillow knows what I'm going to decide. I'm waiting to receive evidence."
