Alvin K. Hellerstein, Federal Judge in Trump, Maduro, and 9/11 Cases, Dies at 92
A federal judge known for his rulings in high-profile cases, including those involving President Donald Trump and the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, has died at the age of 92.
Alvin K. Hellerstein, a Manhattan federal judge who presided over significant cases involving President Donald Trump, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the 9/11 attacks, has died at 92.
Hellerstein passed away on Wednesday, according to Edward Friedland, district executive for the Southern District of New York federal courts. A cause of death was not immediately released.
Appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1998, Hellerstein served as a district judge until moving to senior status in 2011. Earlier in his career, he served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and practiced as a Manhattan litigator.
Handling High-Profile Cases
Hellerstein's tenure was marked by his involvement in numerous complex legal matters. In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he oversaw dozens of lawsuits related to wrongful death, injury, and property damage. This extensive work over two decades significantly shaped his judicial legacy. While he showed empathy to victims and their families, some were critical of his 2008 decision to end the search for human remains in debris moved from Ground Zero to a Staten Island landfill.
More recently, Hellerstein presided over hearings in the narco-terrorism conspiracy prosecution of Nicolás Maduro, who was captured earlier this year. Just two weeks before his death, Hellerstein was involved in a hearing in the Maduro case.
He also handled multiple legal challenges brought by President Donald Trump. In August, Hellerstein rejected Trump's bid to move his state hush-money conviction case to federal court and dismiss it on presidential immunity grounds, marking the third time he denied Trump's requests to transfer the case. This ruling came after an appeals court ordered him to reconsider his prior decision, stating he had erred by not considering "important issues relevant" to Trump's request.
In 2020, Hellerstein ordered the release of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen from prison, ruling that the Justice Department's decision to revoke his home confinement was retaliatory and violated his First Amendment rights. Cohen was seeking to publish a book and speak to the media at the time.
Hellerstein was also known for his independent streak and strict courtroom discipline. He notably insisted that spectators wear masks for more than two years after other judges had dropped the requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2015, he garnered media attention for ordering a New York City cable company to pay $229,500 to a Texas woman after it flooded her phone with 153 robocalls.