U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Rule Changes

Presiding over the Maduro trial

Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's former president, pleaded not guilty in a New York federal courtroom on October 15 to charges he conspired to torture political opponents. Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered the plea after Maduro twice refused to answer directly, calling the allegations “false accusations and false testimony.”

Updated Oct 20

Rule Changes

As of July 2026: Venue for the multistate lawsuit

The Department of Health and Human Services ended its six-month freeze on $10 billion in child care and family-aid money for five states on July 14. The funds, meant for low-income families in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York, are flowing again.

Updated Jul 15

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Handled Epstein’s 2019 case, Maxwell’s trial, and now major unsealing orders

Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but his paper trail has led to immediate legal battles. On January 30, 2026, the Justice Department released more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images.

Updated May 14