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Federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, who oversaw Maduro case, dies at 92

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 28 Oct, 19:27 · Archive

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was presiding over the case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has died at 92.

Alvin Hellerstein, a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, died on Wednesday at the age of 92. He died of natural causes just short of his 93rd birthday. Appointed to the federal bench in 1998 by President Bill Clinton, Hellerstein had served in that role for nearly three decades, earning a reputation as a no-nonsense jurist with strict courtroom discipline.

At the time of his death, Hellerstein was presiding over the criminal prosecution of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit torture against Americans and others to maintain their grip on power, according to a superseding indictment filed in early October. According to the indictment, Maduro's government "presided over a system of repression that relied on violence against political opposition, arbitrary detention, and the torture of detainees, including United States citizens." The torture methods allegedly included "electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture, such as threats to harm and kill victims' families, including children."

Just two weeks before his death, Hellerstein presided over an arraignment hearing in the Maduro case. During Flores' bail hearing on 8 October, he coughed and struggled to speak at times, telling lawyers: "I have a voice problem. As long as you can understand, hear me, I'll keep going." He had scheduled the trial for June 2025 and expressed his intention to preside over it. When Maduro twice defied Hellerstein's request to enter a plea to the torture charges, Hellerstein took matters into his own hands, interjecting that "a plea of not guilty will be entered on behalf of Mr. Maduro." Barry Pollack, an attorney for Maduro, said: "We were saddened to learn of Judge Hellerstein's passing and offer our condolences to his family."

Throughout his judicial career, Hellerstein oversaw numerous high-profile cases. He presided over dozens of lawsuits arising from the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, spending two decades on that litigation. He also oversaw the federal case against convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein and handled litigation related to evidence of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In his final years, he became known as a obstacle to President Donald Trump's legal efforts. Hellerstein repeatedly rejected Trump's attempts to move his criminal case for hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels from state court to federal court, rejecting the requests three times. In August, in one of his last significant rulings, he again rejected Trump's bid to move the case and have it dismissed on presidential immunity grounds.

More recently, Hellerstein presided over a lawsuit against the Trump administration's efforts to deport immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act with minimal due process. He issued a stern ruling against the administration, stating that the president's use of the law contradicted its requirements. He also presided over litigation involving the Trump administration's deportation of Venezuelans, ruling against the use of the Alien Enemies Act in that case.

Before his appointment to the bench, Hellerstein served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1957 to 1960 and spent 38 years in private practice as a Manhattan litigator. He earned his J.D. and bachelor's degree from Columbia University. Hellerstein was known to be a deeply religious Orthodox Jew and held sentencings on Fridays so he could reflect on his decisions over the Sabbath, according to reporting. He was also known for his independent streak and strict courtroom discipline, insisting spectators wear pandemic-era masks for more than two years after other judges ended the practice.

Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain announced his death, remarking that his "energetic and dedicated service to this Court continued until his death" and that "He is greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed." All cases Hellerstein was presiding over, including the Maduro prosecution, will be randomly assigned to other judges.

Federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, who oversaw Maduro case, dies at 92
Image: Independent World

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In this story: Alvin Hellerstein · Nicolás Maduro · Cilia Flores · Donald Trump · Bill Clinton · Southern District of New York · Venezuela · United States

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