David Theodore Wilentz (December 21, 1894 – July 6, 1988) was the

Attorney General of New Jersey The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confirmed by the New Jersey Senate, and term limited ...

from 1934 to 1944. In 1935 he successfully prosecuted Bruno Hauptmann in the

Lindbergh kidnapping On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of aviators Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was abducted from his crib in the upper floor of the Lindberghs' home, Highfields, in East Am ...

trial. He was the father of

Robert Wilentz Robert Nathan Wilentz (February 17, 1927 – July 23, 1996) was Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1979 to 1996, making him the longest-serving Chief Justice since the Supreme Court became New Jersey's highest court in 1948. Ear ...

, Chief Justice of the

New Jersey Supreme Court The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...

from 1979 to 1996, as well as Norma Hess, wife of

Leon Hess Leon Hess (March 14, 1914 – May 7, 1999) was an American businessman, the founder of the Hess Corporation and the owner of the New York Jets. Hess built an oil terminal in New Jersey after the Great Depression, building his first refinery i ...

, founder of

Hess Corporation Hess Corporation (formerly Amerada Hess Corporation) is an American global independent energy company involved in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. It was formed by the merger of Hess Oil and Chemical and Amerada Petrol ...

and Warren Wilentz

Early career

Wilentz was born in Dvinsk in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

(now Daugavpils, Latvia) on December 21, 1894.Official bio
Office of the

. Accessed March 21, 2008.Historical records archived o
Ancestry.com
(draft registration cards from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was a database of death records created from the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File until 2014. Since 2014, public access to the updated Death Master File has been via the Limit ...

). The following year he emigrated with his parents to the United States, settling in

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,436. Perth Amboy has a Hispanic majority population. In the 2010 census, th ...

. He graduated from

Perth Amboy High School Perth Amboy High School (or PAHS) is a four-year comprehensive community public high school which serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Perth Amboy in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary ...

in 1912. Upon graduation he worked at the Perth Amboy Evening News, eventually becoming sports editor (replacing future

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

Harold Hoffman Harold Giles Hoffman (February 7, 1896 – June 4, 1954) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 41st governor of New Jersey from 1935 to 1938. He also served two terms representing in the United States House of Re ...

). He was also manager of the local basketball team."David Wilentz, 93, the Prosecutor In Lindbergh Kidnapping, Is Dead"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', July 7, 1988. Accessed March 21, 2008. In

he served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, entering as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

and receiving an honorable discharge as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. He commuted to Manhattan to attend night classes at

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

, receiving his

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree in 1917. He was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1919. In the same year he married Lena Goldman (December 25, 1898 – June 10, 1991) and they settled in Perth Amboy. Wilentz entered private practice there and also became involved in local Democratic politics. In 1928 he was appointed City Attorney of Perth Amboy, and was elected Democratic chairman for Middlesex County in the same year. Governor A. Harry Moore appointed Wilentz

on February 5, 1934. The appointment was at the behest of Democratic political boss

Frank Hague Frank Hague (January 17, 1876 – January 1, 1956) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947, Democratic National Committeeman from New Jersey from 1922 until 1949, and Vice ...

, but Wilentz was reported to have told Hague, "If I take the office, I will be no dummy."

Lindbergh kidnapping trial

Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., infant son of

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

and

Anne Morrow Lindbergh Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (June 22, 1906 – February 7, 2001) was an American writer and aviator. She was the wife of decorated pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh, with whom she made many exploratory flights. Raised in Englewood, New Jerse ...

, had been abducted from the family home in

Hopewell, New Jersey Hopewell is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. This historical settlement is located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,918, a decreas ...

on March 1, 1932. The child's body was found two months later a few miles from the Lindberghs' home, but the arrest of Bruno Hauptmann, a German carpenter, was not made until September 19, 1934. Over $14,000 in ransom money was found in Hauptmann's garage, and wood found in his home was said to match the ladder used in the kidnapping. The trial began on January 2, 1935, with Wilentz prosecuting. Press descriptions of the trial often focused on his sharp tongue and natty attire. Wilentz had no previous experience in trying criminal cases, but he was certain he could secure the conviction and execution of Hauptmann, whom he called "Public Enemy Number One of the World."David T. Wilentz
, Famous American Trials. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Accessed March 21, 2008. Wilentz built his case against Hauptmann on mostly circumstantial evidence, supported by both eyewitness and

expert witness An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...

testimony. Expert witnesses included handwriting expert Albert Osborn, who testified that Hauptmann had written the ransom notes, and wood expert Arthur Koehler, who testified that the wood used to construct the ladder found at the scene of the kidnapping came from Hauptmann's attic. Wilentz's final star witness was John F. Condon, Lindbergh's go-between for the delivery of the ransom money, who testified that he had met Hauptmann and given the money to him. After Wilentz's effective presentation of evidence, the jury returned a guilty verdict and Hauptmann was sentenced to death. His appeals were rejected, despite a temporary reprieve from Governor Harold G. Hoffman, who ordered the New Jersey Board of Pardons to review the case. Hauptmann was electrocuted on April 3, 1936. The conviction was questioned many times in subsequent years, but Wilentz never wavered in his assertion that Hauptmann was guilty. In 1981 Hauptmann's widow, Anna, unsuccessfully sought to overturn the guilty verdict, requesting $100 million in damages from Wilentz and the state, claiming false prosecution. At the time,

, David's son, was Chief Justice of the

, though Anna Hauptmann's appeal was made in Federal District Court.

Later career

After the Lindbergh trial, Wilentz leveraged his fame to exert greater control within the state Democratic Party. In the 1940s his Middlesex County Democratic organization rivaled the

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

machine of

. After

John V. Kenny John Vincent Kenny (April 6, 1893 – June 2, 1975) was mayor of Jersey City from 1949 to 1953. Biography He was born on April 6, 1893. A former ward leader under longtime mayor Frank Hague, he broke with his mentor after Hague engineered th ...

defeated Hague in the Jersey City mayoral election of 1949, Wilentz consolidated his power, joining with Kenny in founding the National Democratic Club of New Jersey to combat Hague's influence. In the 1950s, Wilentz grew increasingly influential behind the scenes as a confidante of Democratic governors and one of a small number of kingmakers who selected Democratic nominees for statewide office. As a member of the Democratic National Committee he was a powerful voice in the selection of candidates for president and vice-president. Wilentz maintained a private practice with Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, the firm he founded in Perth Amboy in 1950. His sons, Warren and Robert, joined him in the family firm.

remained a member until 1979, when he was appointed Chief Justice of the

Warren W. Wilentz Warren W. Wilentz (March 29, 1924 – March 18, 2010) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New Jersey. He was the son of New Jersey Attorney General David T. Wilentz, who prosecuted Bruno Hauptmann in the Lindbergh kidnapping t ...

was the Democratic candidate for

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1966, losing to the incumbent Clifford P. Case. David Wilentz's daughter Norma married

, founder of the

and owner of the New York Jets. Norma and Leon's daughter, Constance H. Williams, served as a state representative and state senator in Pennsylvania. In 1988 Wilentz died at his home in Long Branch, New Jersey at the age of 93.

References

External links

Biographical information for David T. Wilentz
from

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilentz, David T. 1894 births 1988 deaths Perth Amboy High School alumni Politicians from Perth Amboy, New Jersey New Jersey Attorneys General Lindbergh kidnapping New York Law School alumni Latvian Jews Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States American people of Latvian-Jewish descent Politicians from Daugavpils 20th-century American politicians United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army officers