A judge will participate in the lottery of the Judiciary of Mexico City with the aim of remaining as a civil judge without any information about her reputation, background, or conflicts of interest being leaked.
Last August, the elected president mentioned that judicial reform would strengthen democracy, autonomy, and honesty in the Judiciary, something that currently does not seem to be the case. An interesting case study is that of Judge María Magdalena Malpica, head of the Ninth Civil Court of Mexico City. She granted a ruling in favor of Minister Esquivel in a case of alleged thesis plagiarism.
Judge Malpica has been linked to lawyer David Cohen Sacal, who has been in the public eye for various situations, such as an expensive car accident and allegations of receiving confidential information and bribing a magistrate.
In contrast, a lawyer with constitutional experience was excluded for a minor incident from years ago, while figures close to former President López Obrador, such as María Estela Ríos, related to controversial actions in the past, were registered. The election of judges has been criticized for disorder and lack of transparency.
Judge Malpica has been connected with questionable judicial decisions in high-impact cases, raising suspicions about her impartiality. The selection process for new judges has been influenced by the Government, which raises doubts about the integrity of the new Judiciary.
Cohen Sacal has represented several companies in successful cases that have gone through Malpica's court, generating considerable income. The manner in which some judicial decisions were made has been the subject of criticism and reports in the press.
The process of selecting new judges has been questioned for lack of inclusivity and transparency, raising concerns about the independence of the Judiciary. Ministers of the Supreme Court who have ties to the ruling party have had automatic passage in the selection of judges.
