Elliott Ashton Welsh, II v. United States

404 F.2d 1078
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 31, 1969
Docket21442_1
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 404 F.2d 1078 (Elliott Ashton Welsh, II v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elliott Ashton Welsh, II v. United States, 404 F.2d 1078 (9th Cir. 1969).

Opinions

POWELL, District Judge:

This appeal is from a conviction of the appellant for refusal to submit to induction into the Armed Forces in violation of 50 U.S.C. App. § 462. This Court has jurisdiction under Rule 37 of Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and 28 U.S.C. § 1291.

The appellant Welsh registered with his local board on February 2, 1960. On December 11, 1961 the board received his completed classification questionnaire (SSS Form 100). He did not then claim to be a conscientious objector.

On December 14, 1961 the board classified the appellant I-A. On January 15, 1963 the board received appellant’s application for a permit to leave the United States. The application stated that the appellant’s classification was I-A. On February 5, 1963 the board issued a permit allowing the appellant to depart for a period of one year, which expired March 16, 1964. On March 27, 1964 the appellant was ordered to report for a physical examination. On April 10, 1964 appellant requested and was given a special form for conscientious objector (SSS Form 150). It was completed and received by the board on April 24, 1964. In that form the appellant stated that he was “by reason of * * * belief, conscientiously opposed to participation in war in any form.” 1 The appellant had altered the statement in the form by striking out the words “my religious training and” so that the statement read as above. He answered the question, “Do you believe in a Supreme Being?” by putting an X in the box marked “No.”2 He attached a note explaining the nature of his beliefs.

On May 12, 1964 the appellant’s local board classified him I-A-O, and on May 25, 1964 the appellant sent the local board a letter amending his SSS Form 150 to request classification as I-O. He claimed exemption from both combatant and non-combatant training and service and requested a personal appearance.

He appeared before the local board on June 9. On June 10 the board informed appellant that he was still classified I-A-O. On June 19, 1964 the board received a letter in which appellant stated he was appealing to the Appeal Board from the refusal to classify him as I-O.

On July 28, 1964 the Appeal Board tentatively determined the appellant should not be classified I-O or any lower class.

On November 15, 1965 the appellant’s file was returned by the Appeal Board which classified appellant I-A by a vote [1081]*1081of 3-0. On November 22, 1965 the board mailed the appellant an order to report for induction on December 8, 1965. He reported to the induction center and refused to step forward when his name was called, thereby manifesting his refusal to submit to induction. This prosecution followed.

The appellant raises principal questions as follows:

1. Was the Selective Service System’s denial of a conscientious objector classification to appellant without basis in fact and arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law?

2. Were the report and recommendation of the hearing officer and the Department of Justice to the Appeal Board arbitrary, capricious and illegal because based upon unlawful standards?

3. Was the appellant denied a fair hearing before the local board because the board gave appellant too short a hearing or failed to pass upon his eligibility for 1-0 classification?

4. Was the appellant denied a fair hearing before the Appeal Board in that neither he nor the Appeal Board was given the full report of the FBI or of the hearing officer made to the Department of Justice?

5. Was the appellant denied due process by the induction station’s failure to give him an opportunity to complete DD Form 98, Armed Forces Security Questionnaire, as required by the regulations ?

6. Did the local board thwart appellant’s timely presentation of his request for classification as III-A based on his wife’s pregnancy and thus deny him due process of law?

I

Appellant claims that the Appeal Board denial of 1-0 and I-A-0 classifications was without any basis in fact. He also contends that insofar as the Appeal Board decision rested upon the “Supreme Being” clause of section 6(j) 3 it is premised upon an unconstitutional distinction between theistic and non-theistic religious beliefs.

In United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163, 176, 85 S.Ct. 850, 859, 13 L.Ed.2d 733 (1965) the Supreme Court explicitly adopted the following test for evaluating conscientious objector claims:

“A sincere and meaningful belief which occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by the God of those admittedly qualifying for the exemption comes within the statutory definition.”

A determinative question posed by application of the Seeger test to the facts of this case is whether the sufficiency of a registrant’s beliefs is to be measured by strength or source or both. Unquestionably strength of belief (or sincerity) is an accepted criterion for judging conscientious objector claims. See United States v. Seeger, supra, at 185, 85 S.Ct. 850; Dickinson v. United States, 346 U.S. 389, 396, 74 S.Ct. 152, 98 L.Ed. 132 (1953). The court in Seeger also noted, apparently with approval, that:

“ * * * The section excludes those persons who disavowing religious belief, decide on the basis of essentially political, sociological or economic considerations that war is wrong and that they will have no part of it. * * * ” United States v. Seeger, supra, 380 U.S. at 173, 85 S.Ct. at 858.

This quotation obviously contemplates a test based on the source of a registrant’s beliefs. The belief is the same for both philosophical and religious objectors, that it is wrong to participate in war.

The government concedes that appellant’s beliefs are held with the strength of more traditional religious convictions. But appellant constantly declared that his beliefs stemmed from [1082]*1082sociological, economic, historical and philosophical considerations. He denied that his objection to war was premised on religious belief. The Appeal Board was entitled to take him at his word, as he failed to meet the statutory standard, and to deny his request to be so classified.

Appellant next urges us to adopt the well reasoned opinion of Judge Kaufman in United States v. Seeger, 326 F.2d 846 (2d Cir. 1964), rev’d, 380 U.S. 163, 85 S.Ct. 850, 13 L.Ed.2d 733 (1964). That Circuit Court opinion held that the “Supreme Being” clause of section 6(j) unconstitutionally discriminated between theistic and non-theistic religious beliefs, 326 F.2d at 852-855. But in our case the Department of Justice recommendation quoted the test given above from Seeger. 380 U.S. 173, 85 S.Ct. 850. The facts and result of Seeger at the Supreme Court level lead to only one conclusion: the Supreme Court deleted the “Supreme Being” clause from the statute as Mr.

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

Related

United States v. Neil Douglas Salisbury
469 F.2d 826 (Eighth Circuit, 1972)
United States v. Lawrence Wayne Johnson
459 F.2d 591 (Ninth Circuit, 1972)
United States v. Rodwell
338 F. Supp. 780 (N.D. California, 1972)
United States v. Donald Charles Jenson
450 F.2d 1258 (Ninth Circuit, 1971)
United States v. Silver
331 F. Supp. 415 (D. Minnesota, 1971)
United States v. Christian Robert Merkle
444 F.2d 411 (Third Circuit, 1971)
Alley v. Ryan
319 F. Supp. 981 (E.D. North Carolina, 1970)
United States v. William Roger Retallick
434 F.2d 990 (Ninth Circuit, 1970)
Brett Cassidy v. United States
428 F.2d 585 (Eighth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Philip William McKinney
427 F.2d 449 (Sixth Circuit, 1970)
Welsh v. United States
398 U.S. 333 (Supreme Court, 1970)
United States v. Charles Douglas Chaudron
425 F.2d 605 (Eighth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Ray Beldon Enslow
426 F.2d 544 (Ninth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Vincent Francis McGee Jr.
426 F.2d 691 (Second Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Moss David Posner
424 F.2d 181 (Ninth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Jerry Allen Penner
420 F.2d 344 (Tenth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Clinton
310 F. Supp. 333 (E.D. Louisiana, 1970)
Cornelious Lockhart v. United States
420 F.2d 1143 (Ninth Circuit, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
404 F.2d 1078, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elliott-ashton-welsh-ii-v-united-states-ca9-1969.