ed ▁H ess ▁to ▁review ▁all ▁court ▁dec isions ▁that ▁related ▁to ▁persons ▁de emed ▁enemies ▁of ▁the ▁Party . ▁He ▁was ▁author ised ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁sentences ▁of ▁anyone ▁he ▁felt ▁got ▁off ▁too ▁light ly ▁in ▁these ▁cases , ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁emp ower ed ▁to ▁take ▁" mer cil ess ▁action " ▁if ▁he ▁saw ▁fit ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁This ▁often ▁ent a iled ▁sending ▁the ▁person ▁to ▁a ▁concentration ▁camp ▁or ▁simply ▁ordering ▁the ▁person ▁killed . ▁H ess ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁O berg ru ppen führ er ▁in ▁the ▁Schutz st aff el ▁( SS ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁the ▁second - high est ▁SS ▁rank . ▁ ▁The ▁Naz i ▁regime ▁began ▁to ▁per sec ute ▁Jews ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁power . ▁H ess ' s ▁office ▁was ▁partly ▁responsible ▁for ▁draft ing ▁Hitler ' s ▁N ure m berg ▁La ws ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁laws ▁that ▁had ▁far - re aching ▁imp lications ▁for ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁Germany , ▁b anning ▁marriage ▁between ▁non - J ew ish ▁and ▁Jewish ▁Germ ans ▁and ▁dep riv ing ▁non - A ry ans ▁of ▁their ▁German ▁citizens hip . ▁H ess ' s ▁friend ▁Karl ▁Haus ho fer ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁were ▁subject ▁to ▁these ▁laws , ▁as ▁Haus ho fer ▁had ▁married ▁a ▁half - J ew ish ▁woman , ▁so ▁H ess ▁issued ▁documents ▁ex empt ing ▁them ▁from ▁this ▁legisl