Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, who managed high-profile 9/11 and Trump cases, dies
The veteran jurist served in the Southern District of New York for nearly three decades and was working on a Venezuelan drug case just two weeks before his death.
By Andrew Yang ·
Alvin Hellerstein, the federal judge who presided over landmark civil and criminal cases in Manhattan, died on Wednesday. He was 92. His death marks the end of a nearly 30-year tenure on the federal bench in the Southern District of New York.
Hellerstein was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998. Before joining the federal court, he served in the U.S. Army JAG Corps as a first lieutenant from 1957 to 1960 and worked in private practice. He took senior status in 2011 but continued to hear cases, including complex white-collar prosecutions and matters involving former President Donald Trump.
The judge is known for his role in the litigation following the September 11, 2001, attacks. In March 2010, he rejected a city settlement of approximately $575 million for first responders, stating he would not preside over an agreement based on fear or ignorance. More recently, he blocked the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador without a hearing and stopped three attempts to move Trump's hush money case to federal court.
In his final weeks, Hellerstein oversaw the narco-trafficking conspiracy case against deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They appeared before him two weeks ago on new torture charges. Maduro used his plea hearing to criticize the case, prompting Hellerstein to cut him off and enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf. Court officials said the case will now be reassigned to Judge Analisa Torres.
SDNY Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain said Hellerstein passed away surrounded by family. She described him as a jurist who served with distinction and noted his energetic service continued until his death. Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis, who knew Hellerstein since the 1980s, praised his directness and wisdom on judicial ethics.
Attorneys who appeared in his courtroom also paid tribute. Jennifer Brown, Attorney-in-Charge of the Federal Defenders’ SDNY trial unit, said Hellerstein showed real decency and sought to understand the lives of his clients. Michael Cohen, the former Trump aide whom Hellerstein ordered released from prison in 2020 after a First Amendment dispute, said he hoped Hellerstein would be remembered as judicious and nonpartisan.
The court confirmed the news through Edward Friedland, the district executive. Hellerstein’s colleagues and the legal community in New York expressed gratitude for his long service and the example he set for the district.
