James J. Howe, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner v. Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense, Appellants-Respondents

Fifth Circuit

James J. Howe, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner v. Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense, Appellants-Respondents

456 F.2d 233, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 10851

Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit·Decided March 9, 1972·No. 71-3484·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The district court concluded that there was no basis in fact for the denial by the Army of conscientious objector status to appellee. We agree. Helwick v. Laird, 5 Cir., 1971, 438 F.2d 959; Kessler v. United States, 5 Cir., 1969, 406 F.2d 151.

The finding of the district court that appellee’s statement in support of his application for discharge, if sincere, made out a prima facie ease, is not disputed. The Army was of the view that appellee lacked the depth of conviction required to qualify for discharge as a conscientious objector. This result rested on the disbelief of appellee by the Army officials who interviewed him. We are unable to find any “. . . affirmative evidence to support the rejection . . .” nor is there anything in the record which “. . substantially blurs the picture painted by [appellee] and thus casts doubt on his sincerity . . . ” Kessler v. United States, supra, 406 F.2d at 156.

Affirmed.

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PER CURIAM.

The district court concluded that there was no basis in fact for the denial by the Army of conscientious objector status to appellee. We agree. Helwick v. Laird, 5 Cir., 1971, 438 F.2d 959; Kessler v. United States, 5 Cir., 1969, 406 F.2d 151.

The finding of the district court that appellee’s statement in support of his application for discharge, if sincere, made out a prima facie ease, is not disputed. The Army was of the view that appellee lacked the depth of conviction required to qualify for discharge as a conscientious objector. This result rested on the disbelief of appellee by the Army officials who interviewed him. We are unable to find any “. . . affirmative evidence to support the rejection . . .” nor is there anything in the record which “. . substantially blurs the picture painted by [appellee] and thus casts doubt on his sincerity . . . ” Kessler v. United States, supra, 406 F.2d at 156.

Affirmed.

James J. Howe, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner v. Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense, Appellants-Respondents, 456 F.2d 233, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 10851 (5th Cir. 1972).

Pincite

456 F.2d 233 (James J. Howe, Jr., Appellee-Petitioner v. Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense, Appellants-Respondents) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Opinion

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