What to know about Alvin Hellerstein, the 92-year-old judge overseeing Maduro case

Driving the news: Maduro pleaded not guilty at a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Monday. His wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty.

State of play: Hellerstein joined the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1998 after being nominated by former President

• He presided over 9/11-related lawsuits filed by first responders and airlines.
• Hellerstein twice refused to move the hush money case against Trump to federal court, saying that Trump failed to show good cause for the move.
• In May, he blocked the Trump administration from deporting immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act without due process.

Zoom out: Hellerstein graduated from Columbia in 1954 with a bachelor's degree and in 1956 with a law degree.

• From 1956 to 1957, he served as a law clerk in the Southern District of New York.

• From 1957 to 1960, he served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps for the U.S. Army.
• From 1960 to 1998, he worked in private practice in New York City.

What they're saying: Civil rights attorney Andrew C. Laufer said on X on Monday: "Appeared before Judge Hellerstein numerous times. He is iconic and an excellent jurist."

• Hellerstein has a "stubborn streak and an often unorthodox approach to running his courtroom," Politico reported on Monday.

Go deeper: Maduro pleads not guilty in first court appearance: Here's what to know