May 2, 2010
Empathetic Judge in 9/11 Suits Seen by Some as Interfering
By MIREYA NAVARRO

Over nearly three decades as a litigator at a downtown law firm, Alvin K. Hellerstein shared a view of the World Trade Center towers with dozens of other colleagues in an office building on Maiden Lane.

Yet as a United States District Court judge in Manhattan, he has had a singular perspective on the towers — specifically, the suffering that has lingered long after the terrorist attacks that leveled them in 2001.

As the federal judge who has overseen the wrongful death, property damage and personal injury lawsuits arising from 9/11, Judge Hellerstein, 76, has developed a visible empathy for both the families of the victims and for the workers who fell ill after the rescue and cleanup efforts.

NY judge: CIA can keep 9/11 videotape info secret

By LARRY NEUMEISTER (AP) – 4 hours ago

NEW YORK — A New York City judge says he won't order the release of hundreds of documents the CIA has refused to make public regarding the destruction of videotapes of detainee interrogations following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Manhattan federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled Wednesday after viewing a few of nearly 600 documents related to the CIA's 2005 destruction of videotapes documenting new harsh questioning techniques.

He said a federal judge must defer to the CIA director in assessing information related to such an issue of national security.

The judge also said he probably would have ruled on the same grounds that the videotapes would not have to be released if they had not been destroyed.

A lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union says he doesn't know if he'll appeal.

Over the years, I have posted numerous stories pertaining to Alvin K. Hellerstein. As far as I can find, this is everything I have regarding decisions he's made over the years. He is mentioned in several articles, but I wanted to focus on decisions specifically, so only those are posted.

9/11 Related - The YBBS
"A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit charging that the city's Office of Emergency Management helped cause the collapse of Seven World Trade Center on 9-11 by storing diesel fuel for its emergency generators in the 47-story building." [...] "The city Law Department hailed the ruling, which it says is the last property damage claim against the city related to 9-11. A statement from the department says the move by District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein "allows New York City to better plan for events like September 11th without being subject to liability based on hindsight." [Village Voice, 1/12/2006]