Veteran US Judge Alvin Hellerstein oversees high-stakes case against Venezuelan Prez Nicolas Maduro
New York: At 92, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, one of the longest-serving judges on the federal bench, is once again at the centre of a case with global implications, as he presides over the criminal proceedings against deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared before Judge Hellerstein in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday, where they entered pleas of not guilty to charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The case traces back to a 2020 indictment and forms part of a broader investigation that has unfolded over nearly 15 years, already resulting in the conviction of Venezuela’s former intelligence chief, Hugo Armando Carvajal.
Hellerstein’s involvement adds considerable weight to the proceedings. Appointed to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1998 after being nominated by then president Bill Clinton, he has built a reputation for handling complex and politically sensitive cases. A Columbia University Law School graduate, he began his legal career serving in the US Army between 1957 and 1960 before moving into private practice.
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Over the decades, the judge has overseen a wide range of landmark cases. He has ruled on several civil lawsuits arising from the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks, and has repeatedly been involved in matters touching the highest levels of US politics. At times, this brought him into direct conflict with US President Donald Trump, including when he rejected an attempt to move Trump’s New York hush money case to federal court. More recently, he blocked efforts by the Trump administration to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without granting them court hearings.
Hellerstein has also been a key figure in major financial and corporate fraud cases. In September, he sentenced tech entrepreneur Charlie Javice to over seven years in prison for defrauding JPMorgan Chase in a $175 million deal. He later handed down an 18-year sentence to Bill Hwang, founder of investment firm Archegos Capital Management, in another high-profile fraud conviction. Last year, he presided over a jury trial that found BNP Paribas’s activities in Sudan had supported the regime of former ruler Omar al-Bashir, awarding damages of $20.75 million to Sudanese plaintiffs.
Beyond criminal and financial cases, the judge has also delivered rulings with lasting human rights implications. In 2015, he ordered the US government to release photographs documenting the abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, a decision that drew international attention.
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Ramadan fasting to kickoff from Thursday in Karnataka
Bengaluru: The Holy month of Ramadan will start from Thursday, February 19, announced convener of the State Moon Sighting Committee Maulana Maqsood Imran Rashadi on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference after the Moon Sighting Committee meeting held at the State Waqf Board office on Cunningham Road in the city on Wednesday evening, he said that there is no information about moon sighting anywhere in the capital Bengaluru, including other districts.
“However, after receiving reports of moon sightings in neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Delhi, it has been decided to start fasting from Thursday,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Maulana Mufti Iftikhar Ahmed Qasmi, Maulana Ejaz Ahmed Nadvi and other members of the ulema.
