Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein Dies at 92 Amid High-Profile Cases

Alvin Hellerstein, a federal judge who spent three decades in the Southern District of New York, has died. A spokesperson for the court confirmed the news on Wednesday. He was 92 years old.

Hellerstein was presiding over the criminal case of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the time of his death. He also served as the judge who repeatedly rejected President Donald Trump's attempts to move his New York state criminal trial to federal court.

Trump appointed Hellerstein to the federal bench in 1998 when he was 64 years old. During his tenure, the judge oversaw several high-stakes lawsuits, including cases related to the September 11, 2001, attacks, the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, and the Ponzi scheme of David Hu. Last year, Hellerstein ruled against Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act in a dispute over Venezuelan deportations.

His relationship with Trump became a point of contention in recent years. Trump's legal team argued that the facts underlying his state case involved official acts performed under the color of his office. Hellerstein consistently disagreed, writing in one opinion that reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment to Stephanie Clifford did not constitute the performance of a constitutional duty. He noted that falsifying business records to hide that reimbursement was also unrelated to presidential duties.

After a 2024 Supreme Court decision forced a reexamination of presidential immunity arguments, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Hellerstein to reconsider his stance. On August 28, Hellerstein issued a final ruling against Trump in that matter. He wrote that the trial evidence did not infringe on presidential immunity.

Hellerstein had been involved in cases connected to the Maduro matter since 2014. He took on the active criminal trial just days after turning 92 in January. Some observers criticized the timing, noting that reporters had seen him appear to briefly fall asleep during the trial of a 32-year-old CEO convicted of defrauding JPMorgan in a $175 million sale. That trial concluded with the CEO's conviction last year.

Barry Pollack, an attorney representing Maduro, said in a text message to CBS News that the team was saddened by the judge's passing and offered condolences to Hellerstein's family.

Duncan Levin, a lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said the judge's death is unlikely to cause major delays in the Maduro case. Levin explained that there is no automatic pause or fixed period of delay in such situations. He noted that a new judge can keep existing calendar dates or adjust them as necessary. Levin added that reading extensive paperwork is a core qualification for judges, so the transition should be manageable.

Hellerstein's opinions in the Trump removal cases frequently criticized the arguments made by his lawyers. The state jury had found Trump guilty in the case that revolved around reimbursements to Cohen for a payment to adult film star Stephanie Clifford, known by her stage name Stormy Daniels. The payment was made just before the 2016 presidential election.