Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, an Orthodox Jew, will preside over the trial of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who was taken into US custody on Saturday.
The trial will take place at the Southern District of New York courthouse in Manhattan, which is one of the most powerful and influential courts in the US. It routinely handles cases involving national security, terrorism, and large-scale international crime.
Hellerstein is among the longest-serving federal judges. He was appointed in 1998 by president Bill Clinton. He became a senior judge in 2011 and still presides over cases.
Over his career, Hellerstein has handled terrorism and national-security cases, complex financial disputes, and major civil lawsuits, including claims linked to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
According to the indictment, Maduro is charged with grave federal offenses, including drug trafficking, government corruption, and crimes linked to terrorism.
The case has attracted significant attention in Israel and among Jewish communities worldwide, particularly in light of Maduro’s close ties with Iran and the anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist rhetoric he promoted throughout his years in power.
Hellerstein’s religious identity as an Orthodox Jew is well known within legal circles and the Jewish community in New York, but it rarely figures into courtroom proceedings.
He has previously held leadership roles within the Orthodox community and is known for balancing his religious lifestyle with strict adherence to federal law. Attorneys who have appeared before him describe him as “tough, methodical, and sharp, while also uncompromisingly fair.”
In recent years, Hellerstein has issued rulings for both supporting and opposing positions taken by the Trump administration. These have included decisions blocking deportations on constitutional grounds, as well as rulings rejecting requests for sentence reductions on the basis of religion or nationality.
Throughout his career, he has consistently emphasized that personal or religious identity plays no role whatsoever in judicial decision-making.