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Judge Alvin Hellerstein Dies at 92 After Handling High-Profile Cases
· Confirmed
In Short: Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who presided over numerous high-profile cases, died at 92.
Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who had been overseeing the criminal case of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, died at the age of 92, according to CBS News and the Daily Post Nigeria.
CBS News reported that Hellerstein had been handling the Maduro case just days after turning 92, while the Daily Post Nigeria noted that his age raised questions about his ability to preside over what could be a lengthy trial.
France 24 and Timesofisrael both confirmed that Hellerstein had been a key figure in several high-profile cases, including those involving former US President Donald Trump and the September 11 attacks.
According to CBS News and France 24, Hellerstein was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and had been a prominent judge for nearly three decades.
Hellerstein's rulings included blocking the Trump administration from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members and ordering the release of Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, in 2020.
In his final ruling against Trump on August 28, Hellerstein wrote, 'Reimbursing Cohen for advancing hush money to Stephanie Clifford cannot be considered the performance of a constitutional duty,' as reported by CBS News.
The Daily Post Nigeria and CBS News both noted that Hellerstein's death is unlikely to create significant delays in the Maduro case, with lawyer and former federal prosecutor Duncan Levin stating that a new judge can keep existing dates on the calendar or adjust them as necessary.
Hellerstein's contributions to the legal community were widely recognized. John Shu, an attorney and legal commentator, told The Epoch Times that Hellerstein was respected in legal circles and known for his love of tennis.
Hellerstein died Wednesday morning while surrounded by his family, according to Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain's statement to CBS News.
Despite the differences in the specific details reported by various outlets, they all agreed that Judge Alvin Hellerstein was a significant figure in the US legal system, known for his involvement in high-profile cases and his dedication to the law.
What this adds
The sources have not established the exact cause of Hellerstein's death beyond natural causes, though his age and health were noted as factors.
What's confirmed
- Barry Pollack, an attorney for Maduro, said in a text message to CBS News, "We were saddened to learn of Judge Hellerstein's passing and offer our condolences to his family." Hellerstein was 64 years old when former President Bill Clinton appointed him to the federal bench.
- In 2020, during Trump's first White House term, Hellerstein ordered the release of the president's then-estranged former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, concluding that the Department of Justice tried to revoke Cohen's home confinement and return him to jail in retaliation for writing a book.
- Hellerstein died of natural causes on Wednesday, October 28, shortly before his 93rd birthday, according to the court.
- NEW YORK — Alvin Hellerstein, a senior US federal judge who oversaw many high-profile cases in nearly three decades on the bench, including matters involving US President Donald Trump and the prosecution of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, died on Wednesday, according to a published death notice.
What's still developing
- Hellerstein had faced some criticism for taking on the Maduro case in January, just days after turning 92, and months after reporters observed him appearing to briefly fall asleep during the high-profile trial of Charlie Javice, a 32-year-old CEO who was convicted of defrauding JPMorgan in the $175 million sale of her startup.
- Hellerstein ruled against Mr. Trump in that matter one last time on Aug. 28, writing that "the trial evidence does not infringe on presidential immunity."
- Mr. Trump was found guilty by a state jury in that case, which revolved around reimbursements made to former Trump attorney Michael Cohen for a payment just before the 2016 presidential election to adult film star Stephanie Clifford, whose stage name is Stormy Daniels.
- In the three decades since, he presided over major lawsuits related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a federal lawsuit against convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, litigation related to evidence of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the trial of Ponzi schemer David Hu, and last year ruled against President Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act in a case involving the deportation of Venezuelans.
- "One of the main qualifications of being a judge is that you can read a lot of paper. The fact that there's extra paperwork falls into their skill set."
- "Falsifying business records to hide such reimbursement, and to transform the reimbursement into a business expense for Trump and income to Cohen, likewise does not relate to a presidential duty."
- "There's no automatic pause, and there's really no fixed period of delay. Obviously a new judge is going to need time to get familiar with the case, but they can keep all the existing dates on the calendar or adjust them as necessary," Levin said.
- "Paying hush money to an adult film star or engaging in a cover-up of an embarrassment are not subsumed in presidential immunity," Hellerstein wrote, referring to the $130,000 payoff to adult film actor Stormy Daniels at the heart of Trump's case.
- In July, Hellerstein scheduled the trial for June 1, 2027, a date proposed by both the prosecution and defence.
- “As a judge, and as a Jew, I consider that everything I do reflects God and affects His image,” he wrote in a 2013 law review article.
- Hellerstein died Wednesday, according to Edward Friedland, district executive for the Southern District of New York federal courts.
- In 2015, Hellerstein made headlines when he ordered a New York City cable company to pay a Texas woman $229,500 for flooding her phone with 153 robocalls.