Martin Feldman, a federal judge and graduate of Tulane University (B.A., ‘55) and Tulane University School of Law (J.D., ‘57), has died at 87. Feldman served on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana since being confirmed to the federal bench in 1983. 

Prior to Feldman’s death, he was scheduled to preside over a high-profile fraud trial centering around New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams’ tax filings. Williams is the subject of an 11-count federal indictment that was handed down in the summer of 2020, when Williams was serving as Councilman at Large on the New Orleans City Council. 

Feldman’s absence from the case can have an impact on its outcome. During the pre-trial phase Feldman had ruled on a number of issues favorable to Williams, including a controversial ruling that prohibited prosecutors from discussing Williams’ past late tax filings, as well as preventing the government from telling prospective jurors about the million-dollar home Williams purchased on St. Charles Avenue while under federal investigation.