Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein Dies in the US — The Hill

US federal judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was set to preside over the criminal trial of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, has died. He was 92. The Hill reports, citing a court representative.

Maduro trial

Hellerstein handled proceedings involving Maduro, who, according to the outlet, was detained and brought to the United States earlier this year amid narcoterrorism charges. Less than two weeks before the judge's death, Maduro and his wife appeared in his courtroom and pleaded not guilty to new criminal charges.

The judge also considered a number of cases involving President Donald Trump. In particular, he approved the transfer of Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen from prison to house arrest. Separately, Hellerstein repeatedly rejected Trump's attempts to move the criminal case over hush-money payments to federal court.

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Judge's career

Then-President Bill Clinton nominated Hellerstein to the federal court in 1998. During nearly three decades on the bench in New York, he handled several high-profile disputes.

After the September 11 attacks, Hellerstein oversaw federal lawsuits in New York against the owners of the World Trade Center, city authorities, airlines, and companies responsible for airport security. He also rejected a proposed eight-figure settlement between producer Harvey Weinstein and women who accused him of sexual assault. Hellerstein graduated from Columbia College and Columbia Law School, worked in the US Army's military justice division, and practiced private law for nearly three decades.