Federal Bench: Judge Alvin Hellerstein Dies at 92

For three decades, the federal bench in New York has been shaped by the rulings of a single, long-serving jurist. That era ended on Wednesday when Alvin Hellerstein, 92, died.

A spokesperson for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York confirmed the death. At the time of his passing, Hellerstein was actively presiding over two high-profile matters. He was overseeing the criminal trial of Nicolas Maduro, the former president of Venezuela. He was also continuing to reject Donald Trump's bid to transfer his New York state criminal case into the federal system.

Hellerstein took over the Maduro case in January. This came just days after his 92nd birthday. The timing drew public scrutiny. That scrutiny followed an earlier incident in which reporters noted the judge appeared to briefly doze off during the trial of a CEO. That CEO was convicted of defrauding JPMorgan in a $175 million startup sale.

Bill Clinton appointed Hellerstein to the federal bench when the judge was 64. His docket included major lawsuits stemming from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He also handled litigation regarding evidence of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In 2024, he ruled against Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act in a case involving the deportation of Venezuelans.

In his final years, Hellerstein became a frequent point of contention for Trump. The judge repeatedly denied requests to move the former president's case to federal court. Trump's lawyers argued the underlying facts involved official acts performed under the color of his office. Hellerstein disagreed. In a written opinion, he stated that reimbursing Michael Cohen for a payment to Stephanie Clifford could not be considered a constitutional duty. He added that falsifying business records to hide that reimbursement did not relate to a presidential duty.

A state jury later found Trump guilty in that case, which centered on pre-election payments to Clifford. In August, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals directed Hellerstein to reexamine immunity arguments following a Supreme Court ruling. On Aug. 28, Hellerstein ruled against Trump again. He wrote that the trial evidence does not infringe on presidential immunity.

Duncan Levin, a lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said the judge's death is unlikely to cause major delays in the Maduro trial. Levin noted that there is no automatic pause when a judge dies. A successor could keep existing dates or adjust them as needed. Levin argued that reading large volumes of case file material is a core skill for any judge.