Overview
- Juana Cintas Calderón Zazo filed a motion to recuse judges José Antonio Patrocinio Polo, Emilio Francisco Serrano Molera and Dolores Fernández Gallardo, who are slated to preside over the trial scheduled for February 9–14.
- Her filing argues the judges prejudged the matter in a September 23 order that dismissed her appeal and, according to the defense, characterized actions in the case as illegal and with improper intent.
- By procedure, the three challenged judges must submit reports and the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Extremadura will determine whether the recusal proceeds.
- Legal sources quoted in the coverage say the challenge is unlikely to be upheld and suggest it could delay the start of the oral hearing.
- The broader case examines alleged administrative prevarication and influence peddling over posts in the Badajoz provincial government tied to David Sánchez and associate Luis Carrero, with 11 defendants including PSOE leader Miguel Ángel Gallardo.