Source: https://openjurist.org/421/f2d/1251
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 12:40:44+00:00

Document:
Laurence B. Orloff, Jr., Greene & Orloff, Newark, N. J., for appellant.
D. William Subin, Asst. U. S. Atty., Newark, N. J. (Donald Horowitz, U. S. Atty., Newark, N. J., on the brief), for appellee.
Before BIGGS, KALODNER and FREEDMAN, Circuit Judges.
Defendant appeals from his conviction and sentence to imprisonment for a term of five years for wilful failure to submit to induction into the Armed Forces in violation of 50 U.S.C. App. § 462. He claims he was denied due process by the refusal of his local selective service board to reopen his 1-A classification and consider his claim to conscientious objector status before he was called for induction.
The Selective Service Regulations recognize that "no classification is permanent" (32 C.F.R. § 1625.1). They therefore provide for the reopening and consideration anew of a registrant's classification where new facts are presented which if true would justify a change in classification. Although this provision is written in discretionary rather than mandatory terms,1 the rule is well established that where one who has originally made no claim to conscientious objector status and has been classified 1-A later seeks conscientious objector status because of changed circumstances the board is required to reopen his classification if the claim which he has presented is adequate on its face, and only then may the board determine the merits of the claim.
Thus, the question before us relates to the board's action in dealing with defendant's efforts to have his classification reopened and to present his claim for conscientious objector status.
Defendant registered with the local board in Newark under the Selective Service System promptly on attaining the age of 18 years. He filled out and returned a standard Classification Questionnaire without claiming to be a conscientious objector and made no request for the special form (SSS No. 150) for such a claim. In January 1965 he was duly classified 1-A. He did not appeal from the classification, but in July 1965 requested and received from the board the conscientious objector form.
"Registrant appeared at Local Board stated that he was a conscientious objector but had not sent his SSS 150 back because his mother had torn it up. Registrant stated he was not going to report for preinduction physical examination due to the fact that he was an Islam. I asked him if he would write this information to us."
When defendant did not appear for the physical examination on November 16, the board forthwith sent him a delinquency notice which he received on the following day, November 17. Defendant immediately appeared again at the board's office and spoke with Mrs. Brady. Her recorded notation of his visit which appears in the file shows that he evidently had not expected to receive the delinquency notice.10 He asked to see someone in higher authority, and she told him he could come to a meeting of the board which was scheduled for November 19.
It is therefore clear from the government's case that when defendant told the clerk on November 15 that he was a conscientious objector and therefore would not report for the physical examination next day, he was informed that he should send this information to the board in writing, but was not told whether the notice to report next day was still in effect.11 As a result, his failure to report for the physical examination made him a delinquent subject to immediate induction.12 Although at this same interview he also told the clerk that he had not sent his conscientious objector form to the board because his mother had torn it up, he was not advised to obtain and fill out a fresh form, nor was he told that it would be necessary for him to raise his conscientious objector claim in a more detailed manner than his simple statement to the clerk.
The importance of Form 150 is the comprehensiveness of its questions which spread into all the facets of a conscientious objector claim which a registrant is required to present to the board. A registrant who failed to make out a prima facie claim of conscientious objector status with a Form 150 before him would thereby disclose its lack of merit. In circumstances such as the present case, where an uninformed registrant no longer has his original Form 150, has not been provided with a fresh form and has not even been informed of the nature of the information he is required to present, there is substantial risk that the failure to focus on the essential elements of the claim may result in its inadequate presentation, even though meritorious in substance.
It is clear, therefore, that the board's treatment of defendant's manifestation of a desire to be heard on a claim of reclassification as a conscientious objector violated his right to due process.
There remains the question whether the deficiency in the board's conduct was cured by defendant's subsequent appearance before the board on November 19, 1965.
"Registrant stated he did not want to go in service. He said his religion teaches him better than that. Board explained to him he did not report for preinduction and that he had been declared a delinquent and would be ordered for induction in December. Registrant asked what would happen if he did not go for induction. Board advised registrant he would be reported to the United States Attorney who would process the case from then on.
"1625.4 X CASE NOT RE-OPENED. Mail Form Letter NJ-51-34. VOTE. YES 4 NO O."
"This will advise you the recent evidence submitted concerning your case has been reviewed by this Local Board but it does not justify the re-opening of your case and reconsideration of your present classification."
The minutes show that at the meeting of November 19, there was no consideration of defendant's claim to reclassification as a conscientious objector. The board did not deliberate whether defendant's claim lacked prima facie sufficiency. Instead, it reiterated his delinquency and gave him notice that he would be criminally prosecuted if he persisted in it when he was called for induction in December. Unless we are to permit form to prevail over substance, the record of the meeting — acknowledged to be a complete record of what occurred — which indicates that no review took place, cannot be altered by the mere fact that the board sent out a form letter which said that it had reviewed the evidence for reopening.
The judgment of conviction will be reversed.
"The local board may reopen and consider anew the classification of a registrant (a) upon the written request of the registrant, * * * if such request is accompanied by written information presenting facts not considered when the registrant was classified, which, if true, would justify a change in the registrant's classification; * * * provided * * * the classification of a registrant shall not be reopened after the local board has mailed to such registrant an Order to Report for Induction. * * *"
"When a registrant * * * files with the local board a written request to reopen and consider anew the registrant's classification and the local board is of the opinion that the information accompanying such request fails to present any facts in addition to those considered when the registrant was classified or, even if new facts are presented, the local board is of the opinion that such facts, if true, would not justify a change in such registrant's classification, it shall not reopen the registrant's classification. * * *"
"To whom it may concern: I received a letter ordering me to report to take a physical. I claim conscientious rejected, My religion is Islam; I don't believe in doing bodyly harm to anyone, or anything. I do not believe in no wars, except one which is revealed ind the books of Mossa and The Holy Qur-an. This war is called, The War of Armagedon, In brought forth by (Allah).
"Registrant appeared at L[ocal] B[oard] with SSS 304 which he had received in the mail. He wanted to know why he had received it. I said `because you did not report for preinduction physical.' He said `This is not my country, I am not free because anytime I have to do as you say I'm not free.' He wanted to see someone higher. I told him he could come in to see the Local Board at 4:30 Friday afternoon, or he could go to N. J. State Headquarters."
"A registrant who claims to be a conscientious objector shall offer information in substantiation of his claim on a Special Form for Conscientious Objector (SSS Form No. 150) which, when filed, shall become a part of his Classification Questionnaire (SSS Form No. 100). The local board, upon request, shall furnish to any person claiming to be a conscientious objector a copy of such Special Form for Conscientious Objector (SSS Form No. 150)."
"Q. Am I correct, Mrs. Brady, that the Board at no time, either on November 19th or at any other time, considered whether or not to exempt or reclassify Mr. Turner on the ground that he was a conscientious objector?
"A. He never filed a [Form SSS No.] 150, which is the requirement. And he also has to request a reclassification. As a matter of fact, the request for a reclassification from 1-A has to come within ten days — back at that date it had to come within ten days of the mailing date of the [Form SSS No.] 110 [Notice of Classification]. And nothing was done at all.
"Q. And nothing was said to Mr. Turner about making any application, or filling out any forms, or anything like that, in November of 1965, when he came in to tell you, among other things, that he was a member of the Islam sect, nothing was said to him about any forms?
"A. Nothing was said to him because he never filed a form. And he didn't request another one. We would have been glad to give him another form if he had asked for it.
"Q. And you didn't tell him that by filing another form he would have a hearing?
"A. No, because it says, `On registrant's request.' The regulations read, `Requested by registrant' or something to that effect.
"Q. And you interpret that as meaning that the Board says nothing unless the registrant specifically mentions it?
E. g., United States v. Derstine, 129 F. Supp. 117, 120 (E.D.Pa.1954), applying United States ex rel. Berman v. Craig, 207 F.2d 888 (3 Cir. 1953); see also Vaccarino v. Officer of the Day, 305 F. Supp. 732 (S.D.N.Y.1969), citingDerstine.
I concur in the result reached for this reason: When the defendant's local board refused to reopen his 1-A classification pursuant to his claim of conscientious objector status it thereby effectually denied defendant a right to appeal the rejection of his request for conscientious objector status, since there is no appeal from a draft board's refusal to reopen an existing classification. The end result of the draft board's refusal to reopen was a denial of due process. United States v. Freeman, 388 F.2d 246, 249-250 (7 Cir. 1968). While the defendant did not "plead" his claim for conscientious objector status in consonance with the particularity and preciseness afforded by the Selective Service System's special form SSS No. 150, he adequately presented his claim for conscientious objector status to the Clerk of the draft board as evidenced by the Clerk's "record" on November 15, 1965, and his letter of November 15, 1965, set forth in the majority's opinion. When a claim, in writing,1 for change in classification is presented by a draft registrant on grounds, which, if established by substantial proof, would entitle him to the change sought, a draft board is required to reopen and consider the existing classification so as to afford the registrant the due process right of appeal if his claim is denied.

References: § 462
 § 1625
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