Ben Krentzman

Isaac Benjamin "Ben" Krentzman Jr. (March 21, 1914 – March 29, 1998) was an American lawyer and judge.

Krentzman was born in Milton, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida in 1935 and his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1938.

Krentzman entered private practice in Clearwater, Florida after graduating from law school.

In 1941 he joined the United States Army, serving during World War II and attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. After being discharged from the Army in 1946 he returned to Clearwater, where he remained in private practice until 1967, serving as town attorney for the Town of Largo from 1946 to 1956, city attorney for the City of Clearwater from 1949 to 1950 and again from 1956 to 1958, and special counsel for the State Road Department from 1960 to 1963.

President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Krentzman to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on May 24, 1967, to the seat vacated by John Milton Bryan Simpson. Confirmed by the Senate on June 12, 1967, he received commission the same day.

In April 1970, Krentzman found Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. guilty of civil contempt for not following court orders for desegregate Manatee County schools. He also presided over the trial of Edward J. Gurney, the first U.S. Senator in 50 years to be indicted while in office, on charges of bribery, taking unlawful compensation, and lying to a grand jury. (Gurne was acquitted of all charges).

Krentzman served as chief judge from 1981 to 1982 and assumed senior status on November 15, 1982. He remained on the court until he died in 1998 in Clearwater.

The following reported decisions by Judge Krentzman were decided between 1967 and 1984.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decisions authored by Judge Krentzman and reported in the Federal Reporter include:
U.S. v. Vigo, 413 F.2d 691 (5th Cir. 1969)
Sayne v. Shipley, 418 F.2d 679 (5th Cir. 1969)
Hertz Corp v. Cox, 430 F.2d 1365 (5th Cir. 1970)
Hale v. United States, 435 F.2d 737 (5th Cir. 1970)

The decisions of Judge Krentzman reported in the Federal Supplement or the Federal Rules Decisions include:
Gordon v. American Motorists Ins. Co., 274 F.Supp. 592 (M.D.Fla.October 17, 1967)
Citizens Nat. Bank of St. Petersburg v. Travelers Indem. Co., 296 F.Supp. 300 (M.D.Fla.December 29, 1967)
Hernandez v. Wainwright, 296 F.Supp. 591 (M.D.Fla.January 20, 1969)
Zabel v. Tabb, 296 F.Supp. 764 (M.D.Fla.February 17, 1969)
In re Unterweser Reederei, Gmbh, 296 F.Supp. 733 (M.D.Fla.February 27, 1969)
Shultz v. Union Trust Bank of St. Petersburg, 297 F.Supp. 1274 (M.D.Fla.March 4, 1969)
National Education Ass’n v. Lee County Board of Public Instruction, 299 F. Supp. 834 (M.D. Fla. 1969), rev’d, 467 F.2d 447 (5th Cir. 1972)
Ragano v. Time, Inc., 302 F.Supp. 1005 (M.D.Fla.August 8, 1969)
Florida Nat. Bank at St. Petersburg v. U.S., 310 F.Supp. 1321 (M.D.Fla.September 19, 1969)
Masters v. Russell, 308 F.Supp. 306 (M.D.Fla.September 24, 1969)
Mitchell v. Wainwright, 308 F.Supp. 436 (M.D.Fla.December 19, 1969)
Harvest v. Board of Public Instruction of Manatee County, Fla., 312 F.Supp. 269 (M.D.Fla.February 26, 1970)
Black Students of North Ft. Myers Jr.--Sr. High School ex rel. Shoemaker v. Williams, 317 F. Supp. 1211 (M.D. Fla. 1970), rev’d, 443 F.2d 1350 (5th Cir. 1971)
Rosen v. Kahlenberg, 337 F.Supp. 1075 (M.D.Fla.December 18, 1970)
Small v. Hudson, 322 F.Supp. 519 (M.D.Fla.December 18, 1970)
Weymann v. Wilson, 320 F.Supp. 980 (M.D.Fla.December 21, 1970)
Dawson v. Hillsborough County, Fla. School Bd., 322 F.Supp. 286 (M.D.Fla.January 22, 1971), aff’d, 445 F2d 308 (5th Cir. 1971)
U.S. v. Reeves, 325 F.Supp. 179 (M.D.Fla.February 1, 1971)
Goodman v. U.S., 324 F.Supp. 167 (M.D.Fla.March 9, 1971)
Mathis v. Laird, 324 F.Supp. 885 (M.D.Fla.April 1, 1971)
U.S. v. Thalman, 324 F.Supp. 99 (M.D.Fla.April 1, 1971)
Baker v. Richardson, 327 F.Supp. 349 (M.D.Fla.April 2, 1971)
Commercial Trading Co. v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co., 326 F.Supp. 900 (M.D.Fla.April 9, 1971)
Davis v. Wainwright, 342 F.Supp. 39 (M.D.Fla.August 11, 1971)
U.S. v. Tranquillo, 330 F.Supp. 871 (M.D.Fla.August 25, 1971)
Cal Distributing Co. v. Bay Distributors, Inc., 337 F.Supp. 1154 (M.D.Fla.December 1, 1971)
Green v. City of Tampa, 335 F.Supp. 293 (M.D.Fla.December 22, 1971)
Black Students of North Fort Myers Junior-Senior High School ex rel. Shoemaker v. Williams, 335 F.Supp. 820 (M.D.Fla.January 12, 1972)
Sargent v. Genesco, Inc., 337 F.Supp. 1244 (M.D.Fla.January 28, 1972)
U.S. v. Chalker, 337 F.Supp. 928 (M.D.Fla.February 4, 1972)
Woodsum v. Boyd, 341 F.Supp. 448 (M.D.Fla.April 19, 1972)
Sargent v. Genesco, Inc., 352 F.Supp. 66 (M.D.Fla.June 1, 1972)
U.S. v. Underwood, 344 F.Supp. 486 (M.D.Fla.June 8, 1972)
U. S. v. Benton & Co., Inc., 345 F.Supp. 1101 (M.D.Fla.July 19, 1972)
Marine Bank & Trust Co. v. Hamilton Bros., Inc. 55 F.R.D. 505 (M.D.Fla.July 31, 1972)
MacQueen v. Lambert, 348 F.Supp. 1334 (M.D.Fla.September 28, 1972)
Pippin v. Richardson, 349 F.Supp. 1365 (M.D.Fla.September 29, 1972)
Gadd v. Pearson, 351 F.Supp. 895 (M.D.Fla.November 7, 1972)
U.S. v. Figueredo, 350 F.Supp. 1031 (M.D.Fla.November 20, 1972)
U.S. v. Seaboard Coast Line R. Co., 368 F.Supp. 1079 (M.D.Fla.January 22, 1973)
Ortwein v. Mackey, 358 F.Supp. 705 (M.D.Fla.April 6, 1973)
Garner v. Pearson, 374 F.Supp. 580 (M.D.Fla.June 14, 1973)
Bell v. Isthmian Lines, Inc., 363 F.Supp. 156 (M.D.Fla.September 6, 1973)
Tampa Elec. Co. v. Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., 367 F.Supp. 27 (M.D.Fla.October 26, 1973)
Haines v. Askew, 368 F.Supp. 369 (M.D.Fla.December 11, 1973)
U.S. v. Holland, 373 F.Supp. 665 (M.D.Fla.March 15, 1974)
Garner v. Pearson, 374 F.Supp. 591 (M.D.Fla.April 5, 1974)
Stansel v. Beard, 378 F.Supp. 1189 (M.D.Fla.July 11, 1974)
U.S. v. Gurney, 393 F.Supp. 688 (M.D.Fla.November 26, 1974)
Bunton v. First Nat. Bank of Tampa, 394 F.Supp. 793 (M.D.Fla.April 18, 1975)
Atlantic Ship Supply, Inc. v. M/V Lucy, 392 F.Supp. 179 (M.D.Fla.April 18, 1975)
Nationwide Chemical Corp. v. Wright, 458 F.Supp. 828 (M.D.Fla.March 16, 1976)
Consolidated Mach., Inc. v. Protein Products Corp, 428 F.Supp. 209 (M.D.Fla.December 16, 1976)
U.S. v. Winkle, 430 F.Supp. 67 (M.D.Fla.March 8, 1977)
Duran v. City of Tampa, 430 F.Supp. 75 (M.D.Fla.March 15, 1977)
Tibbs v. State of Florida, 432 F.Supp. 1045 (M.D.Fla.June 17, 1977)
Fisher v. Wainwright, 435 F.Supp. 253 (M.D.Fla.August 1, 1977)
U.S. v. One (1) Liberian Refrigerator Vessel, M/V Ea, 447 F.Supp. 1053 (M.D.Fla.December 14, 1977)
Morrison Grain Co., Inc. v. Utica Mut. Ins. Co., 446 F.Supp. 415 (M.D.Fla.December 22, 1977)
Jackson v. Stinchcomb, 451 F.Supp. 494 (M.D.Fla.February 21, 1978)
Esperti v. Wainwright, 447 F.Supp. 1289 (M.D.Fla.March 16, 1978)
Whitehead v. Wainwright, 447 F.Supp. 898 (M.D.Fla.March 21, 1978)
Johnson v. City of Arcadia, Fla., 450 F.Supp. 1363 (M.D.Fla.March 23, 1978)
Florida Power Corp. v. Granlund, 78 F.R.D. 441 (M.D.Fla.April 5, 1978)
Gunsby v. Wainwright, 449 F.Supp. 1041 (M.D.Fla.April 14, 1978)
Flores v. Fulwood Farms of Florida, Inc., 450 F.Supp. 1046 (M.D.Fla.May 5, 1978)
Duran v. City of Tampa, 451 F.Supp. 954 (M.D.Fla.June 15, 1978)
Hillsboro News Co. v. City of Tampa, 451 F.Supp. 952 (M.D.Fla.June 15, 1978)
U.S. v. Eleven Thousand Five Hundred and Eighty Dollars ($11,580) in U.S. Currency
454 F.Supp. 376 (M.D.Fla.July 14, 1978)
Church of Scientology of California v. Cazares, 455 F.Supp. 420 (M.D.Fla.August 15, 1978)
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Inc. v. Califano, 455 F.Supp. 476 (M.D.Fla.August 21, 1978)
Fain v. Hall, 463 F.Supp. 661 (M.D.Fla.January 3, 1979)
Hamilton v. U.S., 464 F.Supp. 210 (M.D.Fla.January 16, 1979)
Die Burg, Inc. v. Underhill, 465 F.Supp. 1176 (M.D.Fla.February 22, 1979)
Cross v. Califano, 475 F.Supp. 896 (M.D.Fla.August 9, 1979)
International Broth. of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers of...Information Systems, Inc., 475 F.Supp. 83 (M.D.Fla.August 9, 1979)
Kirkpatrick v. Seligman & Latz, Inc., (475 F.Supp. 145) M.D.Fla.August 27, 1979
Richmond Const. Corp. v. Hilb, 482 F.Supp. 1201 (M.D.Fla.January 22, 1980)
U.S. v. Katz, 494 F.Supp. 1287 (M.D.Fla.June 17, 1980)
J & H Auto Trim Co., Inc. v. Bellefonte Ins. Co., 501 F.Supp. 942 (M.D.Fla.November 3, 1980)
Florida Federal Sav. and Loan Ass'n v. Bauer, 515 F.Supp. 869 (M.D.Fla.March 9, 1981)
Howard v. Califano, 1510 F.Supp. 862 (M.D.Fla.March 25, 198)
Kellan v. Holster, 518 F.Supp. 175 (M.D.Fla.June 25, 1981)
Burden v. Church of Scientology of California, 526 F.Supp. 44 (M.D.Fla.July 14, 1981)
Migliorini v. U.S., 521 F.Supp. 1210 (M.D.Fla.August 14, 1981)
Douglas v. Wainwright, 521 F.Supp. 790 (M.D.Fla.August 25, 1981)
Lloyd and Henniger v. Marshall, 526 F.Supp. 48 (M.D.Fla.October 27, 1981)
Waters v. Wainwright, 527 F.Supp. 275 (M.D.Fla.December 3, 1981)
Southern Co-op Development Fund v. Driggers, 527 F.Supp. 927 (M.D.Fla.December 3, 1981)
First Federal Sav. and Loan Ass'n of Winter Haven v. Siegel, 529 F.Supp. 562 (M.D.Fla.January 12, 1982)
Bennett v. Southern Marine Management Co., 531 F.Supp. 115 (M.D.Fla.January 28, 1982)
Thomas v. U.S., 538 F.Supp. 56 (M.D.Fla.March 5, 1982)
Garner v. Pearson, 545 F.Supp. 549 (M.D.Fla.March 15, 1982)
McLean v. Church of Scientology of California, 538 F.Supp. 545 (M.D.Fla.March 16, 1982)
Morton v. Abbott Laboratories, 538 F.Supp. 593 (M.D.Fla.March 25, 1982)
Perez v. U.S., 553 F.Supp. 558 (M.D.Fla.November 9, 1982)
Brown v. Schweiker, 557 F.Supp. 190 (M.D.Fla.January 21, 1983)
Alvord v. Wainwright, 564 F.Supp. 459 (M.D.Fla.March 23, 1983)
Amis v. Gulf Abstract & Title, Inc., 564 F.Supp. 1121 (M.D.Fla.April 25, 1983)
Ammons v. Dade City, Fla., 594 F.Supp. 1274 (M.D.Fla.September 21, 1984)
U.S. v. Meros, 613 F.Supp. 18 (M.D.Fla.October 12, 1984)

Sources

A biographical work by Morison Buck, Ben Krentzman (1914-1998): Gentle in spirit, resolute in robe in 2000.

• Ben Krentzman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.