New trial for Maradona's death: the date for the tribunal draw has already been set

The judicial gears have started turning again in  San Isidro to reactivate the case regarding the death of Diego Maradona.One week after the oral trial that began in March was declared null, the judiciary called a key meeting to determine the next steps in the new process.

The meeting was scheduled for Thursday, June 12 at the building on Ituzaingó 340. There, prosecutors, plaintiffs, and defense attorneys would be officially informed about the date on which the new court would be selected by lottery.

That lottery was set for June 19. On that day,  the names of the three judges who will be in charge of the second attempt to try those accused of the Ten's death will be revealed.

How the lottery will work and which court was excluded

The selection of the magistrates will be made from among six of the seven Criminal Oral Courts of San Isidro. TOC No. 3 was excluded, as it was the body that conducted the annulled trial, which began last March 11, with Judge  Julieta Makintach at the center of the controversy.

Makintach's irregular participation led to the annulment,which set off alarms throughout the Buenos Aires judicial system. Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor's Office requested that the lottery be conducted quickly.

In addition, prosecutors Patricio Ferrari and Cosme Iribarren proposed something unprecedented: appointing a fourth alternate judge. This magistrate would serve as a replacement in case any of the main judges could not continue.

Prosecutors' proposals and the request for speed

The proposal was submitted in writing to  Ernesto García Maañón, president of the San Isidro Court of Appeals. In the document, the prosecutors demanded that the procedure be carried out "as soon as possible."

They also suggested that the lottery should not be digital but manual, for example, using the traditional lottery drum system. The intention is to avoid future challenges regarding the methodology of the process.

Although the Buenos Aires Procedural Code doesn't expressly provide for the figure of an alternate judge, the prosecutors justified their request due to the volume of the case, with many hearings and pending evidence.

At the end of the document, they insisted that the new trial must proceed quickly, both out of respect for the former footballer's family and for the rights of the defendants.

When would the new oral trial begin?

Once the judges are selected by lottery, a hearing will be called under Article 338 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. There, the evidence to be presented, the list of witnesses, and key aspects of the trial will be discussed.

If consensus is reached during that hearing, the new date for the oral proceedings could be set. However, sources consulted anticipated that an agreement might not be reached at that stage.

In fact, the initial expectation of resuming the trial quickly has begun to fade. Sources revealed to the outlet Infobae that the trial might not resume until 2026.

The reasons are not only organizational. In San Isidro, there are several trials on the docket and judges with vacations already granted. In addition, some defense attorneys might choose to delay the process in order to seek acquittal for their clients without the need for a new trial.

The Maradona case has thus added another judicial chapter filled with tension, bureaucracy, and conflicting strategies. June 19 will be a key date to determine whether the path to justice will finally be unblocked.