Radel v. Volatile

312 F. Supp. 1300, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13720
District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania·Decided November 13, 1969·No. Civ. A. No. 69-2439·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

WEINER, District Judge.

Petitioner, having submitted to induction into the Armed Forces of the United States has presented for our consideration his petition for a writ of habeas corpus contending that his induction was unlawful. The hard core of his argument is bottomed upon his allegation that the denial of his request for a reopening of his classification, by his local board, was both illegal and arbitrary. He alleges that the board was presented with information not considered when he was classified I-A, which information justified a change in' petitioner’s IA status and entitled him to a III-A (extreme hardship) classification.

The relevant regulation, 32 C.F.R. § 1622.30(b) provides: “In Class III-A shall be placed any registrant whose induction into the armed forces would result in extreme hardship (1) to his * * parent * * * who is dependent upon him for support”.

It is well settled that a Local Board must reopen upon request if the registrant has presented a prima facie case for the classification claimed. Howze v. United States, 409 F.2d 27 (9th Cir. 1969); United States ex rel. Vaccarino v. Officer of Day, "John Doe" and Local Board No. 1, 305 F.Supp. 732 (S.D.N.Y. Opinion filed October 28, 1969). A selective service registrant claiming exemption on the ground that [1302] he is entitled to a hardship-dependency classification has burden of clearly establishing his right to that classification. Carlson v. United States, 364 F.2d 914 (10th Cir. 1966). The failure of the board to reopen a classification after registrant has presented a prima facie case for a requested deferment violates the registrant's right to procedural due process because it not only denies registrant the opportunity of a personal appearance before the Board but also forecloses an appeal from its determination. United States v. Vincelli, 215 F.2d 210, 213 (2d Cir. 1954); United States v. Burlich, 257 F.Supp. 906, 911 (S.D.N.Y. 1966). However, the Board may not act arbitrarily or capriciously or refuse fair consideration based upon the newly presented facts. Olvera v. United States, 223 F.2d 880, 882 (5th Cir. 1955); United States ex rel. Berman v. Craig, 207 F.2d 888, 890 (3d Cir. 1953). Accordingly, the ultimate question in this case is whether or not the additional facts presented to the Board established a prima facie claim of extreme hardship. It is at the discretion of the Local Board to determine whether a particular registrant has met that burden, Fleming v. United States, 344 F.2d 912 (10th Cir. 1965), and if he has met the burden of establishing a prima facie claim of extreme hardship, the Board must reopen the registrant's classification and consider the classification anew in light of the new information presented by the registrant. United States v. Grier, 415 F.2d 1098 (4th Cir. Opinion filed September 18, 1969); Petrie v. United States, 407 F.2d 267 (9th Cir. 1969); Howze v. United States (supra).

We approach the issue with full recognition that the result we reach will be determined by the admitted facts and so we now turn to the factual situation which gave rise to this petition. We note, preliminarily, that the dispute is not as to the veracity of the information furnished to the Board, but rather to the legal significance to be attributed to an acceptance of the facts submitted in support of the hardship claim. We state here only the facts which we deeiji necessary to decide the issues referred to. The Selective Service file of the relator indicates that after being reclassified I-A he requested that his Board grant an occupational deferment. The Local Board declined to change his classification. Radel unsuccessfully appealed but during the period when his appeal was pending he wrote the Board informing them that his father had suffered a heart attack and stroke, respectively, and was rendered totally disabled; that his father was forced to liquidate his retail grocery business and that petitioner had become the major source of support of his parents. In this letter he also inquired whether he should immediately submit an application for an extreme hardship (III-A) deferment. The Board advised him not to make an application for a III-A deferment until the Appeal Board had acted on his II-A deferment claim. As previously stated the Appeal Board rejected his II-A claim. When his Local Board sent relator notification of the Appeal Board’s determination, it also forwarded to him a Dependency Questionnaire form in relation to his III-A deferment claim. This form, when received by the Board revealed that the only sources of petitioner’s parents’ income were Social Security Benefits totalling $147.00 per month and interest payments amounting to $102.00 per month. Subsequently, conferences were scheduled at the Local Board attended by the registrant and his mother and from our review of all the records we shall, for the purposes of this petition, accept the following indicia as establishing the facts which will govern our decision:

(a) The petitioner’s father receives Social Security benefits of $147.00 per month.
(b) His parents receive a monthly income of $102.00 per month as interest payments derived from accumulated savings of $25,000.00.
(c) The father has a checking account with a balance of $300.00.
[1303] (d) The registrant and his parents both have an automobile, a 1965 and a 1968 Chevrolet.
(e) The registrant has a checking account with a balance of $1,100.00.
(f) The total monthly expense reflected by the family budget is $518.00, of which $267.00 was provided by petitioner out of his monthly earnings.
(g) The petitioner’s father is totally disabled.
(h) That due to her physical infirmity accompanied by the compelling necessity of caring for her husband, the petitioner’s mother is both unable to and not required to seek gainful employment.

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Radel v. Volatile, 312 F. Supp. 1300, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13720 (E.D. Pa. 1969).

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