The New York legal community mourned the loss of two distinguished judges on Oct. 28, 2026. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, 92, of the Southern District of New York, and former New York State Supreme Court Justice Judith J. Gische both died within weeks of each other.
Hellerstein was noted for overseeing the high‑profile Nicolás Maduro case, and Gische was remembered as a respected figure on the state’s Supreme Court. Colleagues and members of the bar offered tributes honoring their decades of service.