Biography
Frank Hashmall was sentenced to five years for putting a false name and address on an automobile registration — a heavy penalty his defenders said reflected his being singled out and prosecuted as a 'Red' rather than the minor offense itself. His case was cited in the National Guardian as an example of political targeting dressed up as ordinary law enforcement. In a separate federal prosecution, he was one of six Cleveland Smith Act defendants sentenced on March 23, 1956. The Sixth Circuit reversed their convictions on May 23, 1958 and ordered a new trial.
