Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, Who Presided Over Trump and Maduro Cases, Dies at 92

Alvin K. Hellerstein, a federal judge in Manhattan who managed cases involving President Donald Trump, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the September 11 attacks, has died. He was 92.

Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain announced that Hellerstein died Wednesday morning while surrounded by his family. A funeral for the judge is scheduled for Thursday at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Manhattan. Swain described Hellerstein as a distinguished jurist who provided energetic and dedicated service to the court right up until his death. She stated that he is greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed.

Hellerstein presided over the arraignment of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, just two weeks before his death. The couple was charged with torture in addition to their ongoing narco-terrorism conspiracy case. Maduro had been captured in a U.S. military raid in Caracas in January. During the arraignment, Maduro twice refused to enter a plea when asked by the judge. Hellerstein then intervened to have a not guilty plea entered on Maduro's behalf.

At a bail hearing for Flores on Oct. 8, Hellerstein struggled to speak due to a voice problem. He told the lawyers that he would keep going as long as they could hear him. Despite his health issues, he planned to preside over the trial, which was set for next June. Following his death, another judge will be assigned to the case. Barry Pollack, an attorney for Maduro, said the team was saddened by the news and offered condolences to the judge's family.

In August, Hellerstein issued a ruling that kept Trump's hush money conviction intact. The judge rejected the president's bid to move the state court case to federal court and dismiss it based on presidential immunity. Hellerstein wrote that paying hush money to an adult film star was not covered by presidential immunity. This referred to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. This was the third time Hellerstein denied Trump's request to move the case. The first denial occurred after Trump's indictment in March 2023, and the second followed his conviction in May 2024 and a subsequent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously ruled that Hellerstein made an error in his prior ruling by not considering important issues relevant to the president's request. The appeals court did not specify how Hellerstein should rule in that instance. In 2020, Hellerstein also released Michael Cohen from prison after the Justice Department revoked his home confinement. Cohen was Trump's former lawyer. The judge ruled that the government's action was retaliatory and violated the First Amendment.

Hellerstein's legacy was also defined by his handling of lawsuits following the 2001 World Trade Center attacks. He presided over dozens of wrongful death and injury cases for nearly two decades. In March 2010, he rejected a settlement that would have paid at least $575 million to people who fell ill working in toxic ash from the trade center. He said the case was different from typical private settlements because it involved 9/11. In 2008, he ended an effort to force the city to keep searching for human remains in debris moved to a Staten Island landfill.

The judge also handled other high-profile matters, including the trial of Charlie Javice, who was convicted last year of defrauding JPMorgan Chase out of $175 million. He also presided over the 2024 trial of Bill Hwang, who was convicted of securities fraud. In 2025, a jury ordered BNP Paribas to pay nearly $21 million in a civil trial related to the Sudanese government's access to the U.S. financial system. Hellerstein was known for strict courtroom discipline and required spectators to wear masks for years after other judges ended the practice.

Hellerstein was a New York native and a graduate of Columbia Law School. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and worked as a Manhattan litigator before President Bill Clinton appointed him to the federal bench in 1998. He moved to senior status in 2011 but maintained a heavy docket. The court stated that he lived a life of commitment to public service and that his work ethic will continue to be a model for the court.