In a stunning display of judicial efficiency, Judge T.M. Kennerly swiftly cleared a backlog of cases to focus on more pressing matters in the federal district court. The result was a remarkable 61 defendants being sentenced in a single day. Thirteen of those defendants received straight penitentiary sentences, while five drew suspended pen terms. A further 32 were sentenced to jail, and nine were given suspended jail sentences. The heaviest sentence handed down during this term was meted out to George Von Stein, a Brownsville resident, who pleaded guilty to a customs liquor charge on Tuesday, December 4, 1934. Von Stein was slapped with an 18-month term in Leavenworth for his crime. The charges stemmed from his arrest on Sunday, December 2, 1934, alongside Ray V. Speedy Adams, near the Tomates bend below Brownsville. The pair had 24 bottles of Mexican liquor in their possession at the time of their arrest. Just two days later, on Monday, December 3, 1934, the duo was indicted, and by Tuesday, December 4, 1934, they were sentenced. Adams, who faced the same charges as Von Stein, received a 90-day jail term. In a somewhat unusual twist, Victoria F. Matron of Brownsville was charged with unlawfully bringing three small gold bars into the United States from Mexico at Laredo. Her sentence of 13 days was a relatively light punishment for the offense.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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