Menendez Judge Called Fair-Minded ‘Giant’ of New York Court

Manhattan federal Judge Sidney Stein, who’s presiding over the Justice Department’s case against Sen. Bob Menendez, has handled plenty of high-profile defendants, from an adviser involved in the Silk Road black marketplace to a Real Housewife.

Still, the former trial lawyer, who attorneys describe as fair-minded and reserved with a penchant for bow ties, has largely avoided public attention—and reporters—during nearly three decades on the bench.

“He doesn’t want to be a public figure, he wants to be a judge,” said Shira A. Scheindlin of Boies Schiller, a former judge for the Southern District of New York who joined the ...