Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who oversaw Maduro and Trump cases, dies at 92

Alvin Hellerstein, a senior U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York who oversaw many high-profile cases, has died at 92, a court spokesperson confirmed. Reports differ on the day of death, with one saying Tuesday and another confirmation coming Wednesday. The court said he died of natural causes just short of his 93rd birthday. President Bill Clinton appointed him to the bench in 1998, when he was 64, after 38 years in private practice and Army JAG Corps service from 1957 to 1960. He earned his bachelor's and law degrees at Columbia University.

At his death he was presiding over the criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who with his wife, Cilia Flores, is charged with conspiracy to commit torture against Americans and others to stay in power, under a superseding indictment. A new judge is to be randomly assigned. Hellerstein also handled Donald Trump's attempts to move his New York state criminal case to federal court, along with lawsuits over the Sept. 11 attacks, Abu Ghraib abuse evidence, Harvey Weinstein and the David Hu Ponzi trial.

Fox News, on the right, leads with the Maduro case and his death, then gives his résumé, the charges against Maduro and Flores, and the plan for random reassignment. It mentions the Trump removal efforts briefly, with no criticism of the judge. CBS News, on the left, covers the same biography but adds that he took the Maduro case in January, just after turning 92, and had faced criticism after reporters saw him appear to doze during the Charlie Javice trial. CBS also says he refused to move Trump's case and quotes Maduro's attorney Barry Pollack offering condolences. Reuters and NewsNation give brief accounts: Reuters lists Trump, Maduro and Sept. 11 matters, and NewsNation cites a court official.