Maradona's physician, accused in star’s death, requests trial by jury

Neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, Diego Maradona's personal physician who has been charged by the courts in relation to the legendary footballer’s death, has asked the Judiciary to approve trial by jury after the annulment of the trial that had begun in March.

The request, seen by the AFP news agency on Saturday, was filed with the courts on Friday.

Luque and six other health professionals are charged with manslaughter in relation to Maradona's death. They were put on trial by a three-judge panel between March and May, but proceedings were annulled after the removal of one of the judges amid scandal.

Now the trial must start over and Luque’s defence team has requested a change in trial status.

“We are requesting that this trial be held by jury," says the filing addressed to the new court selected in June and signed by Luque's three lawyers.

One of them, Julio Rivas, explained the decision to the local press. “Since there is no impartial court in the world, we prefer that the people judge it,” he told the La Nación newspaper.

The trial, which began in March and in which more than 40 witnesses testified, was annulled at the end of May after it was revealed that one of the judges, Julieta Makintach, was starring in an unauthorised documentary about the proceedings.

In June, a new court was selected to restart the trial, but last week one of the judges recused himself for health reasons, meaning that another magistrate must be appointed in order to move the process forward.

Luque's lawyers said that if the request for a jury trial is denied, they will appeal to the Supreme Court, which would further delay the restart.

Maradona died of pulmonary oedema on 25 November 2020 while under home care recovering from neurological surgery.

Seven members of Maradona's medical team face eight to 25 years in prison for manslaughter, a charge that implies they were aware that their actions could cause the patient's death.

An eighth nurse will be tried separately by a jury.

– TIMES/AFP