Matthew Barakat.

The commanding courtroom presence of U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III was evident in numerous high-profile trials. He died Wednesday after a long illness at the age of 85. His judicial career lasted more than 35 years and included the trials of former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and former U.S. Rep. William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson, as well as the plea deal of “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh. His acerbic wit sometimes drew muted complaints at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, but his legal reasoning was unquestioned.