Federal judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who presided over litigation linked to the September 11 attacks and the case against Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, died at the age of 92, according to American media reports.
Hellerstein was one of the most long-serving federal judges in New York. His name became associated with lawsuits stemming from the September 11, 2001 attacks, a set of highly complex civil proceedings that extended over years and involved victims, insurers, and entities connected to the reconstruction of the World Trade Center.
In recent years, the magistrate oversaw the case against Nicolás Maduro, one of the most high-profile international judicial cases heard in the country's federal courts. His death was reported on October 28 and covered by The New York Times, ABC News, and Politico, which all highlighted his role in that case.
The news is of interest both because of the significance of the cases he handled and because of the career of a judge who for decades held a prominent place in the U.S. federal judicial system. For now, the information available does not detail the cause of his death or arrangements for the continuation of the proceedings under his responsibility.