He presided over the case involving the 1990 Happy Land fire, in which 87 people were killed at an unlicensed social club.
As a result of his death, on October 17, 2006, the federal district court judge who presided over the case vacated Lay's conviction.
Justice Coppola, who is presiding over the case, is expected to issue a decision in the next few weeks.
Judge Weinstein, who presided over the case and continues to oversee the distribution, split the settlement fund.
Judge Martin had presided over the case and dismissed the charges.
Judge Ross is the third judge to preside over the case.
The judge who presided over the original case also became a paid board member.
On a few occasions, journalists covering the hearing wandered behind the judge's bench as she presided over the case.
The Court of Appeal rejected this analysis but the three judges who presided over the case gave very different legal reasoning.
A tall, striking black woman came in, and Sara took it as an encouraging sign that this woman would be presiding over the case.