U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was overseeing the case against Venezuela’s deposed socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro in Manhattan, died on Wednesday, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain announced.
\n\nJudge Hellerstein, 92, had been appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1998. Throughout his career, he oversaw other high-profile cases including trials related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack and trials involving President Donald Trump and his policies. Hellerstein, born in December 1933, died of natural causes weeks before what would have been his 93rd birthday.
\n\nOver the past months, Hellerstein oversaw the ongoing trial proceedings against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, “first combatant” Cilia Flores, on multiple drug trafficking charges — with new charges being brought forward this month, accusing the pair of heading a state-sponsored system of repression that led to the torture of numerous victims throughout Maduro’s rule, including the torture of several American citizens. Maduro and Flores both pleaded not guilty to the torture charges.
\n\nHellerstein was slated to preside over the trial, which is slated to begin in mid-2027.
\n\n“Judge Hellerstein was an insightful and dedicated lawyer who, following a distinguished career in the private sector, served with distinction for over 25 years as a…
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/
