By Karim Hammam
Manhattan federal judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who presided over high-profile cases involving former President Donald Trump, the September 11 attacks, and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, died on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at age 92. Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain announced his death, praising his "energetic and dedicated service to this Court continued until his death."
Long Career on Federal Bench
Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, Hellerstein served as a federal district judge until taking senior status in 2011. He maintained a robust docket and worked until his final days. Just two weeks before his death, he presided over the arraignment of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on torture charges added to their narco-terrorism conspiracy case.
Trump Hush Money Rulings
In August, Hellerstein rejected Trump's latest attempt to move his hush money conviction from state to federal court and dismiss it on presidential immunity grounds. It was the third time he denied such a request. The first came after Trump's March 2023 indictment, the second after his May 2024 conviction and a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ordered Hellerstein to reconsider, though the appeals judges expressed no view on the outcome.
9/11 Litigation Legacy
After the 2001 terror attacks, Hellerstein oversaw dozens of wrongful death, injury, and property damage lawsuits for nearly two decades. He showed deep empathy for victims and families, meeting with them for hours and rejecting low settlement offers. In 2010, he rejected a $575 million settlement for workers sickened by toxic ash, calling it insufficient. In 2008, he ended an effort to force New York City to continue searching for human remains at a Staten Island landfill.
Maduro Case and Final Months
At an October 8 bail hearing for Flores, Hellerstein coughed and struggled to speak, telling lawyers, "I have a voice problem. As long as you can understand, hear me, I'll keep going." He remained determined to preside over the Maduro trial scheduled for June 2027. Maduro, captured in a U.S. military raid in Caracas earlier this year, twice defied Hellerstein's request to enter a plea, prompting the judge to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
Other Notable Cases
Hellerstein's recent docket included the conviction of Charlie Javice for defrauding JPMorgan Chase of $175 million, the conviction of hedge fund founder Bill Hwang for securities fraud costing banks billions, and a 2025 civil trial ordering French bank BNP Paribas to pay nearly $21 million for giving Sudan access to the U.S. financial system during atrocities. In 2015, he ordered a New York cable company to pay a Texas woman $229,500 for 153 robocalls.
