Elfbrandt v. Russell

397 P.2d 944, 97 Ariz. 140, 1964 Ariz. LEXIS 212
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 30, 1964
Docket7406
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 397 P.2d 944 (Elfbrandt v. Russell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elfbrandt v. Russell, 397 P.2d 944, 97 Ariz. 140, 1964 Ariz. LEXIS 212 (Ark. 1964).

Opinions

STRUCKMEYER, Justice.

This case arises out of the refusal of Barbara Elfbrandt, a teacher in the public schools at Tucson, Arizona, to subscribe to .the oath required by the Arizona Communist Control Act of 1961 of all public officers and employees. In our decision, Elfbrandt v. Russell, 94 Ariz. 1, 381 P.2d 554, May 1, 1963, we summarily disposed o,f the issue of the asserted vagueness in the Arizona act with the statement that it (‘does .not have the unconstitutional vicp ,of vagueness and indefiniteness in placing an accused on trial -for an offense, the na[143]*143tare of which he is given no' fair warning, 'for punishment is restricted to specified acts knowingly and wilfully committed.” 1 The Supreme Court of the United States, by Per Curiam order dated June IS, 1964, vacated the judgment and remanded the cause to this Court “for further consideration in light of Baggett v. Bullitt [377 U.S. 360], 84 S.Ct. 1316 [12 L.Ed.2d 377].”

The Arizona oath,2 with insignificant changes, has been used in the Territory and the State of Arizona for over one hundred years. An oath of allegiance in.part couched in nearly identical language is required by Congress of those seeking citizenship by naturalization.3 Plainly, the Arizona oath is no more than a restatement of the duties of citizenship, an express engagement to which all who are afforded the protective cloak of the Constitution ■and laws of 'this country and state are irrevocably bound.

The Washington oath4 did not by its language confine the taker to the undertakings of citizenship and the faithful and impartial discharge of the duties of an office. It offended because it “is not open to one or a few interpretations, but to an indefinite number” and that only “extensive adjudications, under the impact of a variety of factual situations, would bring the oath within the bounds of. permissible constitutionál certainty.” Baggett v. Bullitt, 377 U.S. 360, 378, 84 S.Ct. 1316, 1326, 12 L.Ed.2d 377.

We recognize that the words “true faith and allegiance”, “defend”, and “faithfully and impartially” in the context in which they are used range high in the level of abstractions. But Arizona’s gen[144]*144eral perjury statute, A.R.S. § 13-561, has no application for the act contains an enumeration of the offenses punishable criminally as perjury, A.R.S. § 38-231, subs. E.5 A statute which enumerates the subjects or things upon which it is to operate will be construed as excluding from its effect all those not especially mentioned. Lewis v. Industrial Commission, 93 Ariz. 324, 380 P.2d 782. No criminal act is committed under the specific language of the oath if the taker is unfaithful, partial, divides his allegiance or fails to defend the Constitution and laws against all enemies. The test is wholly subjective, binding only to the extent of the individual’s conscience.

By A.R.S. § 38-231, subs. G. public officers and employees who take the oath promise, under penalty of perjury, that they are not knowingly or wilfully engaged in and will not in the future during their terms of office knowingly or wilfully engage in the conduct specified in A.R.S. § 38-231, subs. E:

1. Commit any act to overthrow by force or violence the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions ;
2. Aid in the commission of any act to overthrow by force or violence the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions;
3. Advocate the overthrow by force or violence of the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions;
4. Become knowingly and wilfully a member of the Communist Party of the United States or its successors or any of its subordinate organizations or any other organization having for one [145]*145of its purposes the overthrow by force or violence of the government of the State of Arizona or any of its political subdivisions and prior to becoming a member of such organization, or organizations, had knowledge of the unlawful purpose of the organization, or organizations ;
5. Remain knowingly and wilfully a member of the Communist Party of the United States or its successors or any of its subordinate organizations or any other organization having for one of its purposes the overthrow by force or violence of the government of the State of Arizona or any of its political subdivisions and prior to becoming a member of such organization, or organizations, had knowledge of the unlawful purpose of the organization, or organizations.

The commission of any of these acts at the time of taking the oath or thereafter by a public officer or employee is declared to be a felony punishable in the same manner as perjury. Were we to consider, which we do not, any part of A.R.S. § 38-231, subs. E unconstitutional, the oath provided by § ■38-231, subs. G would not fall for the act provides that if any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions which can be given effect.

If we correctly understand the opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States in Baggett, it is the susceptibility of a statute to the interpretation of required forswearing of an undefinable variety of “guiltless knowing behavior” which is condemned, Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction, 368 U.S. 278, 82 S.Ct. 275, 7 L.Ed.2d 285. In this we think there is a vital distinction between the Washington act6 and the Arizona act. Arizona does not seek to punish one who advises, teaches or abets or advocates by any means any person to commit or aid in the commission of any act intended to overthrow or alter, or to assist in the overthrow or alteration, of the constitutional form of government by revolution, force or violence. Arizona punishes those who commit or aid in the commission of an act to overthrow the government by force or violence. The act cannot be innocently committed or aided for the legislature has provided that it must be done “know[146]*146ingly or wilfully”; tbat is, that it be voluntary and purposeful and' not because of a 'mistake, inadvertence ’or for any innocent reason or that the act be done with an evil motive to accomplish that which the statute condemns. ,

By A.R.S. § 13-131, in every crime or public offense there must exist a union or joint operation of act and intent or criminal negligence.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

James E. Pearson v. State
2017 WY 19 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2017)
State v. Wilson
584 P.2d 53 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1978)
State v. Savchick
569 P.2d 220 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1977)
King v. Coulter
550 P.2d 623 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1976)
State v. Vitale
530 P.2d 394 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1975)
Monroe v. Trustees of the California State Colleges
491 P.2d 1105 (California Supreme Court, 1971)
State v. Lenahan
471 P.2d 748 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1970)
Elfbrandt v. Russell
384 U.S. 11 (Supreme Court, 1966)
State v. Cota
408 P.2d 23 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1965)
Elfbrandt v. Russell
397 P.2d 944 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
397 P.2d 944, 97 Ariz. 140, 1964 Ariz. LEXIS 212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elfbrandt-v-russell-ariz-1964.