At 92, no-nonsense judge Alvin Hellerstein dies after handling Maduro and Trump cases
A long federal career
Former President Bill Clinton appointed Hellerstein to the federal bench when he was 64. Over the next three decades, his docket included lawsuits connected to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Disputes involving Trump
Hellerstein repeatedly refused Trump’s attempts to transfer his New York state criminal case to federal court. Trump’s lawyers argued that the conduct at issue involved official acts, but Hellerstein rejected that position.
A state jury found Trump guilty in the case, which concerned payments reimbursing former attorney Michael Cohen for money paid to Stephanie Clifford before the 2016 presidential election. In August, after reviewing presidential-immunity arguments following a Supreme Court ruling, Hellerstein again ruled against Trump.
Maduro case and next steps
Hellerstein was handling Maduro’s criminal case when he died. His connection to cases involving Maduro stretched back to 2014, according to the report. Former federal prosecutor Duncan Levin said there is no automatic halt or set period of delay when a judge dies. A replacement judge will need time to learn the case, Levin said, but could retain scheduled dates or change them.
Key points
- Hellerstein died at 92 while overseeing the criminal case against Nicolás Maduro.
- He repeatedly rejected Trump’s efforts to move his New York criminal case to federal court.
- His rulings and trials covered matters including Sept. 11 litigation, Harvey Weinstein and Abu Ghraib.
- Duncan Levin said a new judge could keep the Maduro case dates or adjust them.