Alvin Hellerstein, judge of 9/11 and Maduro cases, dies at 92

Alvin Hellerstein, the federal judge in New York who had the final say on the most critical political and social cases in US history for nearly thirty years, died at the age of 92.

Manhattan Federal Court announced that Hellerstein died surrounded by his family yesterday.

Hellerstein, who was appointed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1998, continued to manage a busy caseload even into his 90s, when his colleagues retired or eased their workload.

In her condolence message, the Chief Justice of the Court, Laura Taylor Swain, described Hellerstein as "a highly insightful and dedicated jurist" and stated that he preserved his energy until his last moment.

After his death, the court administration decided to distribute the open files that Hellerstein was looking at to other judges by lottery.

In this context, the file in which deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is on trial on torture and drug trafficking charges was handed over to Judge Analisa Torres.

The trial of Maduro, who denies the accusations, will be held in June next year.

Some of the most high-profile dossiers in Hellerstein's long career have directly intersected with US President Donald Trump.

The judge rejected Trump's attempt to move the "hush money" case, which was handled by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and resulted in a conviction in May 2024, to federal court.

Trump's request to drop the case, citing presidential immunity, was also blocked by Hellerstein.

The judge also forced the Department of Justice to step back during Trump's first term as president.

Hellerstein stated that the house arrest was wanted to be canceled and sent to prison because of the book written by his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who had a falling out with Trump, and in 2020, he described this attempt as "retaliation" and ordered Cohen's immediate release.

Not only politicians but also the giants of the financial world passed through Hellerstein's scales of justice.

The judge presided over the trial of education startup founder Charlie Javice, who was convicted last year of defrauding JPMorgan Chase of $175 million.

In 2024, he again sat on the court bench in the market manipulation and fraud case of Bill Hwang, who caused banks more than $10 billion in losses with the collapse of Archegos Capital Management, which he founded.