Court Opinion

ID: 9447631
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 22:39:46.549902+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:31:07.361645
License: Public Domain

DANAHER, Circuit Judge.
I concur specifically in the majority’s opinion affirming the judgment in favor of M & M Restaurants, Inc. Otherwise I dissent.
To say that some officials may have abused their authority is not to deny that authority exists. This is not such a situation as was presented in Greene v. McElroy, 360 U.S. 474, 79 S.Ct. 1400, 3 L.Ed.2d 1377. The property here is owned by the Government and is part of the naval establishment. Control of access to the Naval Gun Factory has legally been vested in the Superintendent. When the public may enter and for what purposes and under what circumstances may be determined by that officer, in accordance with governing regulations. Congress has even made it a criminal offense, under some circumstances, for unauthorized personnel to be upon the premises. 18 U.S.C. § 1382 (1952).
The basic principle of control by the Government of its own naval establishment is here paramount, I think. Truck drivers, plumbers, telephone operators, electricians, artisans in every walk of life, in one way or other and at one time or other may have legitimate business with a naval base, but the privilege of access is to be extended and may be continued only as those charged with maintaining the security of the Government’s operation may by regulation prescribe. If some petty thief or numbers player or narcotics peddler or otherwise unfit person should insist upon continuance of a previously extended privilege of access, I think the regulations authorize the Superintendent to bar him.
I am unable to conclude that regulations under which the officials here acted were invalid or unauthorized. Particularly do I dissociate myself from the suggestion that invalidity implicitly turns upon whether, in application, provision has been made for “confrontation and cross-examination” of sources whose reports may have led to revocation of the privilege of access to the Government’s enclave.