Opinion ID: 296751
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: postponement

Text: 15 Appellant contends that inasmuch as he reported for induction and refused to submit or step forward on September 20, 1968, the force of the induction order was spent and the State Director was poweless to postpone induction, but was required to either turn the case over for prosecution or reopen the classification. From this premise the argument is made that appellant could not legally be prosecuted for failure to submit to induction on January 16, 1969. We disagree. 16 Appellant relies on 32 C.F.R. 1632.2(a) which in pertinent part provides: 17 '   the local board may, after the Order to Report for Induction (SSS Form No. 252) has been issued, postpone the time when such registrant shall so report for a period not to exceed 60 days from the date of such postponement, subject, however, to one further postponement for a period not to exceed 60 days; And provided also, That the Director of Selective Servie or any State Director of Selective Service (as to registrants registered within his State) many, for a good cause, at any time prior to the issuance of an Order to Report for Induction (SSS Form No. 252) postpone the issuance of such order until such time as he may deem advisable, or the Director of Selective Service or any State Director of Selective Service (as to registrants registered in his State) may, for good cause, at any time after the issuance of an Order to Report for Induction (SSS Form No. 252), postpone the induction of a registrant until such time as he may deem advisable   .' 18 The plain language of the regulation clearly does not support the appellant's contentions. We agree with the district court's observation that postponement subsequent to the event postponed may present a problem in semantic logic. 314 F.Supp. at 490. However, under the circumstances of this case, where the actions of the board were the result of appellant filing SSS Form 150 shortly before the completion of the induction process, we conclude the State Director was warranted under the powers granted by 32 C.F.R. 1632.2(a) in issuing a postponement to permit consideration of the conscientious objector claim. The appellant has not demonstrated that he was prejudiced by this action of the State Director. 19 Appellant's position, that the postponement of induction after he had refused to submit makes invalid any subsequent postponement of induction or reorderting to report for induction, is unique, but lacking in substance. Appellant does not contest that he could have been prosecuted for failure to submit to induction on September 20, 1968. The letter of December 20, above referred to, was clearly not another order to report for induction which, appellant claims, would work to cancel the first order and require consideration of his claim for reclassification. See White v. United States, 422 F.2d 1254 (9th Cir. 1970). 20 A postponement of induction does not render invalid the order to report for induction which has been issued to the registrant but operates only to postpone the reporting date and the registrant must report on the new date without having issued to him a new SSS Form 252. 32 C.F.R. 1632.2(d). See also 32 C.F.R. 1632.14, which provides in pertinent part: 21 '   If the time when the registrant is ordered to report for induction is postponed, it shall be the continuing duty of the registrant to report for induction upon the termination of such postponement and he shall report for induction at such time and place as may be fixed by the local board   ' 22 Appellant also claims that the 'postponement until further notice' was an improper postponement and cancelled the order to report for induction mailed on August 8, 1968, and therefore he should be permitted to submit all information evincing a change in status. Reliance is placed upon Hamilton v. Commanding Officer, 328 F.2d 799 (9th Cir. 1964) and United States v. Johnson, 314 F.Supp. 88 (D.N.H.1970) as support for his contention. The latter case, Johnson, is clearly distinguishable in that the postponement worked as a reclassification detrimental to the registrant. The Hamilton case involved a registrant classified I-A who received a postponement of induction after the order to report for induction had been sent. The postponement lasted in excess of the 120 days authorized by 32 C.F.R. 1632.2(a). The court in Hamilton held that the postponement 'until further notice' cancelled the prior order to report. However, the same court held in the later case of United States v. Martinez, 427 F.2d 1358, 1360 (9th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 879, 91 S.Ct. 122, 27 L.Ed.2d 117, 'We do not believe that Hamilton stands for the proposition that a postponement of an induction order 'until further notice' amounts, on these facts, to a cancellation of the previous induction order.' As in this case, the postponement in Martinez did not exceed 120 days. The court therefore found itself controlled by Parrott v. United States, 370 F.2d 388 (9th Cir. 1966) in which the 'distinction is recognized' that if the postponement does not exceed 120 days a postponement 'until further notice' does not cancel the order to report for induction. See also United States v. Newman, 297 F.Supp. 678 (C.D.Cal. 1969). 23 Since the postponement in this case did not exceed the 120 days limitation and since appellant has not shown that he was prejudiced by the postponement, we hold against him on this issue. 24 We are mindful of our recent decisions in Liese v. Local Board No. 102, 440 F.2d 645 (8th Cir. 1971) and Zerillo v. Local Board No. 102, 440 F.2d 136 (8th Cir. 1971). Liese has vital distinguishing features in that Form 264 was never mailed to the registrant and he did not receive any written notice. Here, appellant received written notice on the appropriate form. We do not regard Liese as controlling. On the other hand, Zerillo, decided by the same panel which considered Liese, has factual resemblances to our case. It is interesting to note that in Zerillo our court stated, 'hence, it seems clear that a valid postponement does not cancel an outstanding order to report and that a continuing duty to report upon the expiration of the postponement is imposed upon the registrant. See Davis v. United States, 410 F.2d 89, 93 (8th Cir. 1969).'