Author: admin

(NEW YORK) — As Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were arraigned this week on narco-terrorism charges, the key legal players in the case included a 92-year-old judge and the attorney for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The case with international implications will feature high-profile defense attorneys and will be presided over by the most senior U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Monday pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. The next court date is set for March 17.

The Judge

U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein was appointed to the federal bench in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton and was confirmed by the Senate through unanimous consent.

Known by colleagues and lawyers as a no-nonsense jurist with an independent streak, Hellerstein presided over the 2019 federal civil trial of Harvey Weinstein, brought by 16 women who accused the former movie mogul of sexual assault.

In a major July 2020 ruling, Hellerstein, who turned 92 last month, tossed a $19 million settlement in the Weinstein civil case, saying that it failed to adequately compensate the accusers.

In his decision, Hellerstein slammed the settlement proposal as unfair, noting that accusers who had merely met Weinstein would receive compensation equal to those who were allegedly sexually assaulted by him.

“What is there to make me believe that a person who just met Harvey Weinstein has the same claim as the person who is raped by Harvey Weinstein?” the judge asked during a hearing on the settlement. 

Additionally, the judge said it was “obnoxious” that the settlement proposal would have included money to cover the legal fees for Weinstein and other directors of his former company. 

Hellerstein has also ruled against President Donald Trump, whose Justice Department is prosecuting Maduro, in multiple instances.

In 2023 and 2024, Hellerstein rejected requests by Trump’s attorneys to move a case charging him with falsifying business records to hide hush-money payments to adult movie star Stormy Daniels from state court to federal court.

“Trump has failed to show that the conduct charged by the Indictment is for or relating to any act performed by or for the President under color of the official acts of a President,” Hellerstein wrote in his ruling.

Trump was eventually convicted in state court on 34 felony counts.

In April 2025, Hellerstein blocked the Trump administration from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, ruling that migrants being held in the Southern District of New York could not be deported without them first receiving notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Maduro’s attorney

Barry Pollack, Maduro’s attorney, has more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer and has represented high-profile clients. 

During Maduro’s arraignment on Monday, Pollack signaled that that he could assert that he is entitled, as a foreign leader, to protection against prosecution.

“He is the head of a sovereign state,” Pollack said in court, adding that there are “issues about the legality of his military abduction.”

Among the attorney’s past clients is Julian Assange. In June 2024, Pollack negotiated a plea agreement for the WikiLeaks founder who was charged with violating the Espionage Act for publishing classified information he obtained from Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst.

Under the plea agreement that Pollack hammered out with the Department of Justice, Assange was freed from prison in June 2024 after pleading guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information.

Pollack — a partner in the Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler law firm in New York City and Washington, D.C. — also won the freedom of Martin Tankleff, a Long Island, New York, teenager who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his parents in 1988. Tankleff was released from prison in 2008 after Pollack successfully filed an appeal, arguing there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Pollack also defended Michael Krautz, former accountant for the Enron Corp., who was charged along with other company executives with fraud and conspiracy to falsify business records stemming from overstated earnings of the company’s now-defunct subsidiary Enron Broadband Services.

Krautz was acquitted of the charges in 2006, just days after Enron founder Kenneth Lay and CEO Jeffrey Skilling were convicted on similar charges in one of the biggest business scandals in U.S. history.

“Barry’s unwavering commitment to his clients, the defense function, and the Constitution serves as inspiration to criminal defense lawyers across the nation,” Christopher W. Adams, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said in 2021, as the organization honored Pollack with its Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award.

Maduro also added constitutional law expert Bruce Fein to his legal defense team, according to a notice on the court docket on Tuesday. Fein has written critically about the Trump administration’s deportation policies and the president’s use of pardons.

Maduro’s wife’s lawyer

Houston-based defense attorney Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor, has been retained by Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores.

Donnelly is the former senior advisor to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and was a federal prosecutor for 12 years before going into private practice. He is now a partner in the Houston law firm Parker Sanchez & Donnelly.

“With over 100 jury trials under his belt, Mark not only is extremely comfortable in the courtroom, but also has the knowledge and experience to guide clients through all phases of representation,” his bio on his law firm’s website says.

According to the bio, Donnelly spent eight years as a prosecutor in the Harris County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office, where he led investigations into elected officials and others charged with violating the public trust.

In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives recruited Donnelly to assist in the historic investigation and impeachment trial of then-state Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, who was accused of bribery and abusing his office to protect a donor accused of making false statements to secure business loans.

Paxton, a Republican, was acquitted in September 2023.

Donnelly is a proficient Spanish speaker and was once designated as a bilingual assistant prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

“We look forward to reviewing and challenging the evidence the government has,” Donnelly said in a statement to Houston Public Media about representing Flores. “While we would love to present our side now, we will wait to do so in court at the appropriate time. The first lady is aware that there is a long road ahead and is prepared.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MARYLAND) — Federal prosecutors on Wednesday moved to dismiss a long-running assault case against Harrison Floyd, one of the 19 defendants charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, after Floyd was accused of attacking two FBI agents in 2023 as they attempted to serve him with a subpoena in a related case.

The rare decision to drop the federal charge comes shortly after President Donald Trump in November issued a largely symbolic grant of clemency to individuals who worked on his behalf to challenge the results of the 2020 election.

In a court filing Wednesday, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Maryland informed the federal judge overseeing Floyd’s case that her office “moves to dismiss without prejudice the criminal complaint in the above-captioned case.” The judge approved the request soon afterward.

Prosecutors did not provide an explanation for the dismissal.

The charge stemmed from an incident in February 2023 when Floyd allegedly assaulted two FBI agents sent on behalf of then-special counsel Jack Smith to serve him with a subpoena related to Smith’s federal election subversion probe, according to court records. Floyd, a former Marine and mixed martial arts fighter, allegedly rushed at the agents and spit in their faces, the records show.

During the encounter, Floyd shouted profanities at the agents, including “YOU F—— PIECE OF S—!” and “WHO THE F— DO YOU THINK YOU ARE,” according to an affidavit. One of the agents showed Floyd his firearm in an effort to de-escalate the confrontation, according to the affidavit.

Several months after the alleged assault, prosecutors in Fulton Country, Georgia, brought racketeering charges against Floyd and 18 others, including Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Boris Epshteyn, John Eastman and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, for their alleged efforts to keep Trump in power despite his 2020 election loss.

Floyd, Trump and 13 others pleaded not guilty to all charges, while Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants. The case was ultimately dropped by prosecutor Pete Skandalakis, who took over after Fulton Country DA Fani Willis was disqualified from the case.

This past November, Trump issued all defendants a sweeping pardon, though the move was largely symbolic as the cases were brought at the state level and therefore fell outside the scope of presidential pardon power.

Floyd’s attorney, Carlos Salvado, told ABC News at the time that the language in Trump’s clemency order might also apply to Floyd’s otherwise unrelated federal assault charge.

Reached by ABC News on Wednesday, Salvado welcomed the dismissal. “I’m extremely happy for my client,” he said. “It’s a hell of a way to start 2026.”

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The criminal case will continue against former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer Adrian Gonzales, who is accused of placing more than two dozen children in “imminent danger” by failing to respond to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting as it unfolded.

Judge Sid Harle on Wednesday denied the defense request for a mistrial after defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding key information that was revealed during testimony on Tuesday.

Harle said he may exclude the part of Tuesday’s testimony from former teacher Stephanie Hale, who testified for the prosecution that she saw the shooter, Salvador Ramos, on the south side of the school. In an interview days after the shooting, Hale told investigators that she had not seen the shooter — a change in her account that defense attorneys said was not disclosed to them. 

Defense attorney Jason Goss argued that the change in testimony affected their strategy during jury selection. 

“I don’t believe what was testified to in front of the jury resonated enough to significantly affect your trial strategy,” the judge said. 

While defense attorneys argued that the teacher provided the only evidence that the shooter was on the south side of the school, prosecutors said that bullet casings would corroborate their argument. 

The prosecution and defense agreed to resume the trial on Thursday, with Hale still on the stand.

Based on the agreement reached, the defense will play part of Hale’s original interview with state investigators in the days after the shooting, when she said she did not see the shooter nor believe she was being shot at.

Prosecutors will have the chance to question Hale again, and defense attorneys reserved the right to ask for the testimony to ultimately be excluded. 

Outside court, Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie Cazares was killed in the shooting, expressed relief that the case will go forward, saying a mistrial would have been an “injustice.”

He said his confidence in District Attorney Christina Mitchell was shaken by the potential mistrial, but said he believes she learned from her mistake. 

“I have confidence that she learned, I have confidence that she went back home last night … and she basically took the lessons, and she came back in today, she seemed a little more prepared, to me, to be honest, a little more assertive, a little more confident,” he said.

Defense attorney Nico LaHood said outside court he was happy with Wednesday’s outcome and trusts the jury. 

“We really trust this process, so we believe this remedy the judge did was appropriate,” he said. “We preserved the error, and then we’ll proceed tomorrow.”

Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb. Investigations faulted the police response and suggested that a 77-minute delay in police mounting a counterassault could have contributed to the carnage that day.

Gonzales, who was one of nearly 400 law enforcement officers to respond to the scene, was charged with 29 counts of child endangerment for allegedly ignoring his training during the botched police response. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty and his legal team maintains he’s being scapegoated.

This case marks the second time in U.S. history that prosecutors have sought to hold a member of law enforcement criminally accountable for their response to a mass shooting.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in her car during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and the Minneapolis mayor is disputing the government’s claims surrounding what led up to the shooting.

According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her.

“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said.

“He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” she said, referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.”

The mayor, however, at an impassioned news conference said that he saw video of the incident and claimed the agent’s actions were not self-defense.

“This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying — getting killed,” Frey said.

Frey said it does not appear the victim — a 37-year-old woman and U.S. citizen — was driving her car toward the agent and using her car as a weapon. The victim “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” according to Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez.

Minneapolis police said it indicates she was in her car and blocking the road.
“At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off,” police said. “At least two shots were fired … the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

“There is nothing to indicate that this woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation or activity,” police added. “… She appears to be a middle-aged white woman.”

Frey said his message to ICE is to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis.

“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Frey said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

“What had happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis,” she said during remarks at a press briefing in Texas. “They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”

The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.

ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges she stabbed a mother changing her baby’s diaper inside a bathroom in Macy’s flagship store in New York City during the Christmas shopping season.

The woman, Kerri Aherne, 43, was charged with attempted murder, assault and child endangerment in connection with the Dec. 11 stabbing inside Macy’s Herald Square.

“As alleged, Kerri Aherne carried out a horrific and unprovoked stabbing of a mother who was simply caring for her 10-month-old baby. This tourist was attacked inside one of the city’s largest and most frequented department stores, posing public safety implications for employees, visitors, and New Yorkers alike,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

“I wish the victim a swift recovery,” Bragg said.

The 39-year-old victim was visiting New York from California. Prosecutors said she was changing her 10-month-old’s diaper in a seventh-floor bathroom when Ahere approached from behind and began stabbing her, unprovoked.

Aherne had purchased the knife at Macy’s moments before the attack, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, the victim eventually managed to grab the knife from Aherne and throw it to the other end of the bathroom. During the attack, the baby fell from the changing table onto the floor.  

Aherne was restrained by the victim’s boyfriend and by store security workers until police officers arrived to arrest her on the scene.

The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for two stab wounds to her back and lacerations to her arm and hand that required stitches. The baby was not hurt.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said that both the victim and her husband work for the LASD.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Aherne was previously arrested in Massachusetts for threatening to kill Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The woman told police she has been hospitalized for psychiatric problems.

Aherne was remanded into custody. She is next due in court on Feb. 11.  

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in a vehicle during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The victim was a U.S. citizen who “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez told ABC News.

The woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her, according to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

McLaughlin said the ICE officer fired “defensive shots,” referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.” She did not identify the woman killed or the ICE officer involved in the shooting.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

“What had happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis,” she said during remarks at a press briefing in Texas. “They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that he is aware of the shooting involving an ICE agent while demanding that ICE leave the city “immediately.”

“The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement on social media regarding the shooting. “We’re demanding ICE to leave the city immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said his office is working to “gather information on an ICE-related shooting this morning.”

“We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm,” he posted on X.

The city of Minneapolis said it is “aware of a shooting involving a federal agent” near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue and urged people to avoid the area.

“We are working to confirm additional information, but what we know is that the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city and making our community less safe,” the city said in a statement.

A large law enforcement presence could be seen at the scene. Protesters have also gathered, with some seen getting pepper-sprayed by law enforcement.

The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.

ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.