Who Is Alvin Hellerstein? 92-Year Old Judge Who Presided Over 9/11 Cases Is Now Hearing Nicolas Maduro's Trial
Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a seasoned federal judge appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, has a remarkable track record of handling high-profile cases.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday pleaded not guilty before US Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, insisting he is still Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country,” he declared through an interpreter before the judge interrupted him.
The 63-year-old, captured on Saturday in a US military raid from the country’s capital city of Caracas, wore orange slippers, beige pants, and layered black-and-orange shirts. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were taken into US custody and flown to New York on US President Donald Trump’s orders, who alleged their involvement in spreading narco terrorism in the US.
Judge Hellerstein was told by Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, that extensive litigation is expected over the legality of his “military abduction.” Maduro faces four federal charges, including allegations of state-sponsored narco-terrorism, Reuters reported.
Who Is Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein?
Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a seasoned federal judge appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, has a remarkable track record of handling high-profile cases. His expertise spans terrorism, organised crime, financial crimes, and more.
Notable cases include those involving Donald Trump's administration and BNP Paribas, as well as managing thousands of claims related to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Alvin K. Hellerstein, a federal judge in New York, was born in 1933. He grew up in New York city. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College in 1954 and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1956, according to the Federal Judicial Centre website.
After law school, Hellerstein clerked for Judge Edmund Palmieri in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. He served in the US Army JAG Corps from 1957 to 1960. After leaving the Army, he worked in private law practice in New York City. He has practiced law for nearly four decades, the website states.
In 1998, he was nominated to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Hellerstein has handled a wide range of federal cases during his time on the bench. He became a senior judge on Jan. 30, 2011.
