Julieta Makintachuntil recently, an ascending figure of the Argentine Judiciary, became the unexpected protagonist of an institutional scandal that not only collapsed the trial that investigates the death of Diego Maradonabut also shook the foundations of his judicial and academic career.
The judge had everything thought. Access that triumvirate that would decide the fate of the seven defendants of “simple homicide with eventual intent” for the death of the idol, to reach what it really wanted: the Supreme Court of Justice of the province of Buenos Aires that has long been incomplete, and for which she has been making Lobby to place in the highest strata of power. He even had the resolution that would catapult the bronze: “Maradona was killed”and for which no one would discuss. The idol had been avenged.
The history for the media began in mid -March of this year, when Makintach assumed the magistrate post in the Oral Criminal Court No. 2 of San Isidro, in charge of judging the truth for which they fight, on the one hand, the children and relatives of Diego Maradona and, on the other, the last environment of the “ten”, nourished by lawyers, friends and health professionals.
The surprise broke out on May 24when with 11 hearings held, testimonial statements of 44 people, dozens of evidence and even the unjustified detention of Diego’s custodian, a teaser began to circulate (instance prior to the trailer and that serves to go out to sell a film to the market of cinematographic distributors) of a potential documentary series on the current trial, titled “Divine Justice”in which Judge Makintach appears as the protagonist. In the images, he was talking about the camera, touring his office and reflecting on the role of justice. The voiceover, the interviews, the professional assembly and the cinematographic edition turned the video into a dagger that hurt the seriousness of the provincial justice. Even more embarrassing, the entire documentary was a priori written, pre -recorded and, therefore, in each public intervention, the judge would have followed the script scheduled.
Creative. One of the project’s brains is Juan Manuel “Chavo” D’Emilioexperienced screenwriter and producer, in pair with “La Negra” VidalMakintach intimate friend. Both imagined a cattle docuserie, with testimonies and dramatizations that the plus had that no other producer could have had, behind the scene in real time, access to private places – something that could only be done with the consent of the judge – and the raw material live, which, once the trial was over, would have been lost. The business was round, Judge Makintach would multiply its fame, and the product would be sold in millions of dollars.
A close to the producer Feelcoowned by D’Emilio, he assured news that meetings with Paramount (Telefe) and prime video were held, but that both platforms gave up for the high value of the proposal, which would have been 25 million dollars. Contacted an important accounts executive McCann Argentinacompany that “Chavo” presided until 2021, acknowledges: “D’Amilio is a great reference of the industry and a very prestigious professional. It is surprising that with his experience and talent he has made a documentary of such a low level and even at some extent illegal.” In their agenda there were meetings with Netflix satellite producers, which were truncated after the mediatization of the case.
Bad step
This bet on stardom ended up transforming into a judicial nightmare for Makintach, confirming that she had authorized the recordings within her office and in the courts of the court, without having an official guarantee or knowledge of her colleagues. As known later, cameraman Jorge Huarte and other teams of the team entered the court using false credentials such as alleged communication students or judicial employees. For the production work, the judge would have paid a total of 5.5 million pesos, including cameramen, illuminators, soundists and editors. A document that transcended was an Excel file with all the names of the suppliers, all cinema workers of little renown and little trajectory in the field.
The scandal finished exploiting when the judges Maximiliano Savarino and Verónica di Tomassomembers of the same court formally denounced the situation before the Supreme Court of the Province of Buenos Airespresenting images, emails and testimonies that linked Makintach directly with the production of the documentary. And the institutional response was fulminant, they suspended it for 90 days, charging 40 percent of its salary. In parallel, the Universidad Austral, where Makintach served as a professor of Criminal Law, also separated her from her position: “The ethical values we promote force us to act firmly,” they said from the academic institution.
Immediate reaction
As rarely in such media cases, justice ordered, through the prosecutor Jorge Ferrarisix simultaneous raids in producers The double and feelin a confidential and unexpected way. The balance threw even more evidence. Rigid discs with unpublished videos of the judge talking about the trial, scripts, contracts and accounting records. Among the seized papers were payments in dollars, the rental of an editing room in Palermo Soho and expenses for catering, costumes, makeup and logistics. What follows will be an audit to know if that money left public or private funds, which is fundamental for the institutional decision on Makintach.
“What happened with the judge is a shame of international magnitude and that is why they want the consequence to be exemplary,” acknowledges an important judge from San Isidro to News to be consulted by the future of the magistrate. “They want prey and want to use the influences traffic figure to achieve it. It is not easy, but it has already happened with the chamber judge Martín Ordoqui, of La Plata, which ended up in the framework of the Caesar Melazo case ”.
In just days, Makintach went from being considered a judge with a gender perspective and international training, to being the protagonist of a scandal that continues to mistreat Maradona’s figure. In the last hours, the Court void the trial and everything returned to zero without knowing when it will begin again or what judges. One more stain to the bandage of Argentine justice than in its balance, instead of impartiality, balances acts of corruption, negligence and inoperance.
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