William Carey Mathes

William Carey Mathes (December 17, 1899 – July 24, 1967) was a United States federal judge.

Born in Hale Center, Texas, Mathes received a B.M.A. from the University of Texas in 1921 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1924. He was in private practice in Los Angeles, California from 1924 to 1945.

On September 24, 1945, Mathes was nominated by President Harry S. Truman to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California vacated by Ralph E. Jenney. Mathes was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 11, 1945, and received his commission on October 17, 1945. He served as chief judge from 1964 to 1965, assuming senior status on June 9, 1965. Mathes served in that capacity until his death.

Mathes was the trial judge in the case of Kawakita v. United States, which eventually went before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sources

• William Carey Mathes at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.