American judge, senior United States district judge for the Southern District of New York
Donald Trump and the Department of Justice have asked the US Supreme Court to overturn an $83.3m defamation judgment won by writer E Jean Carroll, arguing presidential immunity and the Westfall Act shield statements made while Trump was in office. Lower courts have split on immunity questions; the filings argue the appeals court avoided deciding the core constitutional issue.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein has denied a bid to move Donald Trump’s hush-money case from state court to federal court for a third time, citing lack of new grounds. Trump remains appealing the conviction in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. The ruling comes weeks after his re-entry into a federal appeals process and as prosecutors maintain the case’s linkage to a broader effort to influence the 2016 election.
The Maduro case has tested whether a sitting foreign head of state can be prosecuted in U.S. courts. Maduro argues sovereign and conduct-based immunity, while prosecutors urge continued proceedings. The trial date remains set for June 2027, with disputes over immunity ongoing.
The US has filed a new indictment accusing Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, of leading a state‑sponsored system of repression that tortured opponents, including American citizens. They have pleaded not guilty and deny the charges as they await trial in New York next June.