Trump's Lawyers Criticize Late Judge for Rejecting Appeal Just One Day Before His Death

President Donald Trump’s legal team has sharply criticized the late District Judge Alvin Hellerstein of New York for his rulings against moving Trump's "hush money" case to federal court. The criticism came just one day after Hellerstein passed away at 92 due to natural causes.

Hellerstein had been overseeing a high-profile case involving former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, as well as the appeal by President Trump seeking to transfer his own legal proceedings from state to federal jurisdiction. In March 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office indicted Trump on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records concerning payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump’s attorneys argued that Hellerstein and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office had been inconsistent in their justifications for keeping the case in state court. Robert J. Giuffra Jr., a member of Trump's legal team, submitted a 43-page filing on Thursday, stating that "the district court erred in concluding otherwise" regarding Trump’s request to move his case to federal court.

The president attempted multiple times to have the case transferred to federal court but was denied each time. After being convicted on all counts during the trial in April 2024, Trump appealed Hellerstein's decision once again, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents immunity for certain actions related to their official duties. However, Hellerstein ruled that the payments made to Daniels did not qualify as official conduct.

In his most recent denial of Trump’s appeal in September 2024, Hellerstein cited delays and procedural issues as reasons to reject the transfer request. Giuffra criticized this decision, arguing that the judge had taken an unusually long time—ten months—to issue a ruling on the matter after receiving repeated requests from Trump's legal team.

Despite his convictions, Trump was ultimately sentenced to an unconditional discharge, meaning he faced no jail time or fines but still carries the felony convictions on his record. District Attorney Bragg recently urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit not to reconsider Hellerstein’s decision and transfer the case to federal court.

The timing of the criticism from Trump's legal team has raised eyebrows given it came just a day after Hellerstein's death, highlighting the contentious nature of this particular judicial proceeding. The case underscores ongoing debates about presidential immunity and jurisdictional disputes in high-profile criminal cases involving former or current government officials.