Opinion ID: 306223
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: validity of the letter order

Text: 11 Appellant argues that the letter order was invalid since it was not a Selective Service Form 252, which contains important notices to inform the registrant of his rights, responsibilities, and potential liabilities in connection with the induction order. 12 Although the letter order alone would not have met the requirements for a valid induction order. 32 C.F.R. Sec. 1632.1, the letter order did not stand alone. The Local Board's order to report on September 1 was a proper Form 252, and appellant does not challenge the validity of that order. The letter order was simply a means of setting a new date to report in accordance with the existing induction order. 13 The dissenting opinion argues that appellant may have been convicted for a crime not charged by the grand jury. The indictment shows, however, that the grand jury charged appellant with committing a crime on December 1, 1971, specifically, with failing to obey an order of his Local Board to report for induction on that date. The fact that appellant did fail to report for induction on that date is conceded on this appeal. The only real question, then, is whether he was under a duty to report on December 1, which in turn depends upon whether the Local Board properly ordered him to report then. The majority holds that appellant was properly ordered to report on December 1, not because the letter order alone was a sufficient induction order, but because the letter order was a proper means to change the date set for compliance with the existing, admittedly valid, induction order of August 13. 1 14 That a draft board can fix a new date for induction without sending a new Form 252 induction order has been recognized in several cases. In United States v. Ritchey, 423 F.2d 685 (9th Cir. 1970), the registrant reported for induction on the set date, but the induction process was not completed on that date, and a new date was set. On the new date the registrant failed to report. Subsequently a third date was set, at which time the registrant did report, but the induction process was again not completed and by final letter a fourth date was set for induction. When the registrant failed to report on that date, the failure to report was the basis of his indictment. The Court upheld the validity of the final letter fixing a new date for induction. 15 In United States ex rel. Luster v. McBee, 422 F.2d 562 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, Luster v. Cooksey, 400 U.S. 854, 91 S.Ct. 74, 27 L.Ed.2d 92 (1970), a valid Form 252 induction order was mailed to the registrant. On the induction date, however, questions arose about the medical acceptability of the registrant, which were settled only after the registrant's doctor had submitted statements. At that time a letter, not a Form 252, was sent to the registrant, the letter setting a new induction date. The Court upheld the registrant's duty to report in accordance with the letter. 16 In Swift v. Director of Selective Service, 145 U.S.App.D.C. 224, 448 F.2d 1147 (1971), the registrant, after several postponements, reported for induction on the date specified, but because the examining center was not capable of performing certain medical tests he was not inducted on that date. After a hospital examination the registrant was found to be acceptable, and he was thereupon mailed a letter setting a new date for his induction under the original Form 252 order. The court held that the original induction order was not cancelled, in effect upholding the registrant's duty to report on the new date set for his induction. 17 In the three cases mentioned, the registrant had reported for induction on the date set by the induction order, but in each case induction did not take place on that date. In United States v. Brunner, 457 F.2d 1301 (9th Cir. 1972), the registrant, like appellant here, failed to report on the date set by his induction order. Subsequently his local board scheduled five more induction dates, on all of which the registrant failed to report. For the fifth of these subsequent failures the registrant was convicted. His conviction was upheld. 18 In addition, in many cases courts have recognized that, following a postponement of induction, the existing induction order remains in effect and the registrant may, by letter, be given a new date on which to comply with the order. E. g., United States v. Whalen, 451 F.2d 755 (8th Cir. 1971); United States v. Jenson, 450 F.2d 1258 (9th Cir. 1971); United States v. Watson, 442 F.2d 1273 (8th Cir. 1971); United States v. Evans, 425 F.2d 302 (9th Cir. 1970); see 32 C.F.R. Sec. 1632.2(d). 19 The facts in this case indicate that the Selective Service authorities have been especially careful to accord appellant the maximum opportunity to comply with his duty to report for induction. Appellant had already failed to report for induction on August 4 in accordance with the first Form 252 induction order, but in response to appellant's letter explaining his absence from Pennsylvania a new Form 252 induction order was mailed. After appellant failed to report in accordance with that order, 2 Selective Service authorities, after investigation, gave appellant one more chance to comply with the order, by setting a new date for his induction. The letter order used by the Local Board to set the new date was a valid means of doing so. 3 20 Contrary to statements in the dissent, we do not hold that appellant committed a continuing offense. Simply because appellant was under a continuing duty to report for induction, see note 2, supra, does not necessarily mean that by violating that duty he has committed a continuing offense. A person has a continuing duty to register for the draft, yet Toussie v. United States, 397 U.S. 112, 90 S.Ct. 858, 25 L.Ed.2d 156 (1970) held that failing to register for eight years did not constitute a continuing offense. 4 However, the dissent seems to argue that by stating that there was a continuing duty we therefore say that there was a continuing offense, which at least for the purposes of this opinion we do not hold. 21 This opinion holds only that where a registrant has failed to report for induction on the date set, his draft board may set a new date for his induction pursuant to the original order, and that he may be informed of the new date by a letter order such as that used here, without the necessity of a new Form 252.