Case Name: James J. HOWE, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner, v. Melvin R. LAIRD, Secretary of Defense, et al., Appellants-Respondents
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1972-03-09
Citations: 456 F.2d 233
Docket Number: No. 71-3484
Parties: James J. HOWE, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner, v. Melvin R. LAIRD, Secretary of Defense, et al., Appellants-Respondents.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter 2d Series
Volume: 456
Pages: 233–233

Head Matter:
James J. HOWE, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner, v. Melvin R. LAIRD, Secretary of Defense, et al., Appellants-Respondents.
No. 71-3484
Summary Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
March 9, 1972.
William S. Sessions, U. S. Atty., Charles B. Tennison, San Antonio, Tex., for appellants-respondents.
Leonard J. Schwartz, Patrick D. Burke, San Antonio, Tex., Rigely, Schwartz, Fa-gan & Burke, Inc., San Antonio, Tex., for appellee-petitioner.
Before BELL, DYER and CLARK, Circuit Judges.
Rule 18, 5 Cir.; see Isbell Enterprises, Inc. v. Citizens Casualty Co. of New York et al., 5 Cir. 1970, 431 F.2d 409.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The district court concluded that there was no basis in fact for the denial by the Army of conscientious objector status to appellee. We agree. Helwick v. Laird, 5 Cir., 1971, 438 F.2d 959; Kessler v. United States, 5 Cir., 1969, 406 F.2d 151.
The finding of the district court that appellee's statement in support of his application for discharge, if sincere, made out a prima facie ease, is not disputed. The Army was of the view that appellee lacked the depth of conviction required to qualify for discharge as a conscientious objector. This result rested on the disbelief of appellee by the Army officials who interviewed him. We are unable to find any ". . . affirmative evidence to support the rejection . . ." nor is there anything in the record which ". . substantially blurs the picture painted by [appellee] and thus casts doubt on his sincerity . . . " Kessler v. United States, supra, 406 F.2d at 156.
Affirmed.