Opinion ID: 288717
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: appellant's selective service file contained basis in fact for his i-a classification

Text: 27 Appellant's first argument on appeal is that his local board and the state appeal board had no basis in fact for classifying him I-A and for denying his claim for a III-A (extreme hardship) deferment. E. g., Estep v. United States, 327 U.S. 114, 122, 66 S.Ct. 423, 90 L.Ed. 567 (1946); United States v. Freeman, 388 F.2d 246, 248 (7th Cir. 1967), reh. denied, (1968 en banc); United States v. Mohammed, 288 F.2d 236, 238 (7th Cir. 1961), reh. denied. Appellant fails to specify on what dates such allegedly illegal actions occurred. Presumably, he is referring to his classification I-A by his local board on July 10, 1968 and his classification I-A by the state appeal board on November 12, 1968. 28 On July 10, 1968, appellant's local board reopened his I-Y classification of December 13, 1967 and reclassified him I-A. On August 12, 1968, he appealed this classification and asked that he be classified III-A instead. On September 11, 1968, his local board considered the new evidence filed in support of his claim for a III-A deferment, determined not to reopen his I-A classification, and forwarded his file to the state appeal board on September 20, 1968. Pursuant to 32 C.F.R. § 1626.24(b) (1969), the state appeal board could only consider the information contained in the file received from the local board and general socioeconomic conditions. Thus, for the purposes of determining whether appellant's file contained any basis in fact for his I-A classification, the information contained in his file as of September 11, 1968 will be determinative. 29 Under the doctrine of Estep and its progeny, the scope of judicial review of a draft classification is limited to the narrow question of whether there was any basis in fact for the board's order. This court may not determine the weight of the evidence. So long as there is a basis in fact for the board's decision to classify the appellant I-A and to deny his request for a III-A deferment, this court's scope of review ends even if it were convinced that the board's decision was erroneous. Estep v. United States, supra. 30 Appellant's selective service file on September 11, 1968 indicated inter alia that (1) he claimed to be the sole support of his mother who received $70 monthly social security disability income and (2) his sister, who lived with him and his mother, was employed full time, had a young infant, and contributed to the support of his mother. In determining whether appellant should be granted an extreme hardship deferment, the board could consider any dependency allowances paid by the Armed Services to dependents of servicemen. 50 App.U. S.C. § 456(h) (2) and 32 C.F.R. § 1622.30(d) (1969). On the basis of these facts, the district court determined that the local board's action was not without a basis in fact. We agree. 31 The burden is upon the registrant to establish his entitlement to any classification other than I-A. Carson v. United States, 411 F.2d 631, 633 (5th Cir. 1969); United States v. Carroll, 398 F.2d 651, 653 (3d Cir. 1968); United States v. Porter, 314 F.2d 833, 835 (7th Cir. 1963); 32 C.F.R. § 1622.1(c) (1969). Upon receipt of appellant's appeal of his I-A classification and request for III-A extreme hardship deferment on August 12, 1968, the local board mailed him an acknowledgment on the same day and indicated the specific information it wished him to provide with reference to his claim for a III-A classification. The board sent appellant SSS Form 118, Dependency Questionnaire, and a request for his 1967 income tax return and a listing of incomes and expenses of himself and his mother. One month later when the board considered his appeal and request for a III-A deferment on September 11, 1968, the board had received only a letter from appellant's mother's doctor indicating that she was scheduled to undergo major surgery. The fact that appellant had not complied with any of the board's requests in its letter of August 12, 1968 was before the board and could properly be considered by it in determining whether appellant should be classified III-A. 32 The only case which appellant cites in his brief on the basis in fact issue is Lewis v. Secretary, Dept. of the Army, 402 F.2d 813 (9th Cir. 1968), reh. denied. That case is distinguishable on its facts. In that case a registrant's III-A classification (extreme hardship because of dependent mother) was taken away and he was reclassified I-A. The court reversed the denial of the registrant's petition for writ of habeas corpus, stating: 33 Our review of the record disclosed that the facts before the Board are not in dispute, and that there is no significant difference between the facts before the Board when it [ originally ] classified appellant in III-A in 1964 and when it reclassified him in I-A in 1966. Id. at 818 (emphasis added). 34 It is well settled that reclassification of a registrant must be based upon some fact not considered in granting the original classification which would justify a change in classification. E. g., United States v. Pence, 410 F.2d 557, 562 (8th Cir. 1969); 32 C.F.R. §§ 1625.2, 1625.11 (1969). See United States v. Ransom, 223 F.2d 15 (7th Cir. 1955). The instant case does not involve a withdrawal of a III-A deferment which is not based upon any change in facts. 35 We hold that there was a basis in fact for the denial of appellant's request for a III-A classification and his classification I-A on July 10, 1968. 36