A bit of stunning news in the legal realm on Wednesday morning, as The New York Times is reporting that 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein has died.
Hellerstein was the senior federal judge in the Southern District of New York who was overseeing the criminal case of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. He also presided over the multiple attempts by President Donald Trump's legal team to remove the Manhattan criminal prosecution of Trump over purported falsified business records to federal court.
Breaking News: Alvin Hellerstein, a senior federal judge in Manhattan overseeing the prosecution of the captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, has died at 92. https://t.co/9RFYI0l6Rj
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 28, 2026
Per The Times:
Alvin K. Hellerstein, a senior federal judge in Manhattan who has overseen various high-profile cases, including the prosecution of the captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, has died at 92.
His death was confirmed by Ed Friedland, the district executive for the Southern District of New York, where Judge Hellerstein had served for nearly three decades. He was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton in 1998.
Amid news of passing of Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, much is being said of this most recent big case, US v. Nicolas Maduro. Inner City Press hearkens back to the landmark human rights outcoming in the Sudan genocide trial against BNP Paribas he presided over. RIP https://t.co/PKbwoGoBfO
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) October 28, 2026
Hellerstein, a native of New York, received his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1956. After serving in the U.S. Army JAG Corps, he entered private practice. He was appointed to the federal bench by former President Bill Clinton in 1998.
Hellerstein also ordered Michael Cohen released from prison in 2020 after finding the government had retaliated against him, as well as civil litigation against Harvey Weinstein over sex trafficking and related claims.
As of this writing, Maduro's case has not been reassigned.