Aug. 7, 1961 - Dr. Robert A. Soblen was sentenced today to life in prison for wartime espionage for the Soviet Union. The 61-year-old defendant, who is suffering from lymphatic leukemia and has a life expectancy of less than a year, collapsed in the arms of two deputy marshals as Federal Judge William B. Herlands pronounced the sentence. Before imposing sentence, Judge Herlands said he had considered the defendant's health carefully. He added, however: "A spy is a spy, no matter what his health may be. A conspiracy to obtain and transmit American national defense secrets may imperil the lives of all Americans. Such a crime is analogous to a conspiracy to commit mass murder."
Comments