If they would take the time to look at the deed records, the speculation would be tossed out as folklore. Armstrong and others point out several factors make the South Padre Island case different from most other land disputes. The episode occurred only 65 years ago and several of the original players, including New York lawyer Gilbert Kerlin, are still alive and able to be taken to court. In terms of setting legal precedent, they say, the case's impact shouldn't be far reaching. Craig Smith, a Corpus Christi lawyer representing the plaintiffs against the King Ranch and the John G. Kenedy Charitable Trust, said the South Padre case shouldn't have an effect on other disputes.
Nobody expects future cases to be easy to prove in court.
There certainly was a big shift in their status in society. It's a very complex story. Nobody has studied the 365 land grants. In the mind of the former migrant worker De Leon, now a training consultant for a tire company in Phoenix, the jury's decision in Brownsville changes the future. There's going to be a lot of people going through the courts because of our verdict.