Alvin K. Hellerstein, a senior U.S. District Judge who presided over cases involving Donald Trump and the prosecution of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, died Wednesday, October 28, 2026. He was 92 years old and was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, according to a court spokesperson.
Hellerstein was appointed to the Manhattan federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1998. He maintained an active caseload into his 90s, having moved to senior status in 2011. Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain described him as a dedicated jurist whose service continued until his death.
In the months preceding his death, Hellerstein handled several significant matters. In August 2026, he rejected Donald Trump's request to move his Manhattan hush money criminal conviction to federal court, ruling that payments to an adult film actor were not covered by presidential immunity. Two weeks before his death, he presided over the arraignment of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on torture charges that were added to an ongoing narco-terrorism conspiracy case following their capture in January 2026.
Beyond recent political cases, Hellerstein's legacy was defined by his long-running oversight of civil lawsuits following the September 11, 2001, attacks. He managed dozens of wrongful death and property damage claims, notably rejecting a proposed settlement in 2010 for ground zero workers because he felt the judicial role was different for an event of that scale. He also presided over the fraud trials of Archegos Capital Management founder Bill Hwang and startup founder Charlie Javice.
The vacancy also affects the Manhattan federal court's docket management. While Hellerstein was a senior judge, he maintained a robust caseload that will now be randomly distributed among other judges in the Southern District of New York. This includes recent convictions like those of Bill Hwang, whose scheme resulted in more than $10 billion in losses for banks, and Charlie Javice, who was convicted of a $175 million fraud against JPMorgan Chase.
Hellerstein’s death marks the end of a judicial tenure characterized by an independent streak, such as his 2020 order to release Michael Cohen from prison after determining the Justice Department had retaliated against him. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2026, at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Manhattan.