Sandler v. Tarr

345 F. Supp. 612
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedNovember 3, 1972
DocketCiv. A. 71-60-N
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 345 F. Supp. 612 (Sandler v. Tarr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sandler v. Tarr, 345 F. Supp. 612 (D. Md. 1972).

Opinion

NORTHROP, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff brought this action for injunctive and other relief to restrain and enjoin defendants from inducting him into the Armed Forces of the United States. On January 22, 1971, this court issued a temporary restraining order; by stipulation of the parties and order subsequently entered on February 1, 1971, the temporary restraining order was extended to remain in force until the case could be heard on its merits. A hearing was held on April 8, 1971 on defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint; on April 14, 1971, this court entered an order staying decision on defendants’ motion to dismiss pending fi *614 nal disposition of Gregory v. Tarr, 436 F.2d 513 (6th Cir. 1971) by the Supreme Court of the United States. On June 14, 1971, the Supreme Court denied certiorari. 403 U.S. 922, 91 S.Ct. 2229, 29 L.Ed.2d 701 (June 14, 1971).

From September, 1963 until June, 1967, plaintiff was enrolled at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, as a full-time undergraduate student. During this period, plaintiff was granted an undergraduate student deferment — II-S. Upon graduation in early June, 1967, plaintiff was enrolled as a full-time graduate student at Northwestern University in Illinois. From September, 1967 until November, 1968, he held a II-S deferment under section 6(h) (2) of the Selective Service Act (graduate student deferment).

On November 7, 1968, plaintiff’s local draft board mailed him a Notice of Classification advising him that he had been reclassified from II-S to I-A. At a subsequent personal appearance before the local board, plaintiff requested a IS(c) deferment for the purpose of completing the academic year of graduate studies. The Board denied this request and classified plaintiff I-A. After a timely notice of appeal, the Appeal Board classified plaintiff I-A. On January 27, 1970, plaintiff’s local board again mailed plaintiff a Notice of Classification informing him of the Appeal Board’s decision and of his I-A classification.

Plaintiff was married on June 17, 1969 and it is undisputed that at all times since he has maintained a bona fide family relationship and his wife has resided with him continuously. In December, 1969, while his appeal was pending from his local board’s denial of his I-S(e) deferment request, plaintiff learned that his wife was pregnant. Plaintiff notified his local board of this fact and requested that his case be reopened and that he be reclassified in class III-A (fatherhood deferment). Apparently the local board did not reopen plaintiff’s file — plaintiff alleges that the board ignored his letter and request.

On March 2, 1970, plaintiff’s local draft board mailed to plaintiff an Order to Report for Induction. After plaintiff protested, the State Director of Selective Service, on March 4, 1970, postponed plaintiff’s induction until June, 1970. Plaintiff again requested reclassification as I-S(e). This was denied by the State Director on March 25, 1970, and on March 27, 1970, his local board advised plaintiff that he would be scheduled for induction in June, 1970. Plaintiff protested and requested a III-A cal board canceled the scheduled inducclassification. On May 13, 1970, the lotion.

On May 5, 1970, a daughter was born to the plaintiff and his wife and at all times since plaintiff has maintained a bona fide family relationship with his child in his home. Plaintiff notified his local board of this event.

On June 16, 1970, the local board again mailed to plaintiff a Notice of Classification advising him that he had been reclassified I-A. Following a personal appearance before the local board, that board concluded that plaintiff was not entitled to a III-A deferment because plaintiff had received a II-S deferment after June 30,1967.

On September 17, 1970, the local board again mailed to plaintiff a Notice of Classification notifying plaintiff that the board had refused to classify him III-A. This decision was upheld on appeal to the Appeal Board. Plaintiff again received a Notice of Classification (I-A) on December 1, 1970. On December 2, 1970, the board mailed to plaintiff an Order to Report for Induction at Nashville, Tennessee on January 28, 1971. This action was then instituted.

The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the action (1) on the ground that the court lacks jurisdiction by virtue of section 10(b) (3) of the Selective Service Act, 50 App. U.S.C. § 460(b) (3) and (2) on the ground that the com *615 plaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

Section 10(b) (3) of the 1967 Selective Service Act, 50 App. U.S.C. § 460(b) (3) provides:

No judicial review shall be made of the classification or processing of any registrant by local boards except as a defense to a criminal prosecution . . . after the registrant has responded either affirmatively or negatively to an order to report for induction .

While a literal reading of this statute-would bar all pre-induction judicial review of a registrant’s Selective Service classification, the Supreme Court has carved out a limited exception in Oestereich v. Selective Service System Local Board No. 11, 393 U.S. 233, 89 S.Ct. 414, 21 L.Ed.2d 402 (1968) and Breen v. Selective Service Local Board No. 16, 396 U.S. 460, 90 S.Ct. 661, 24 L.Ed.2d 653 (1970). In Oestereich v. Selective Service System, supra, plaintiff had a IV-D (ministerial student) exemption. He turned in his draft card in opposition to the Viet-Nam war. His local board declared him delinquent and reclassified him I-A. The district court dismissed his complaint and the Tenth Circuit affirmed, holding that section 10(b) (3) of the Military Selective Service Act precluded pre-induction judicial review. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the local board was not empowered to reclassify punitively a registrant who was clearly entitled to a statutory exemption. Finding that the conduct of the local board was “basically lawless,” the Court stated: “In such instances, as in the present one, there is no exercise of discretion by a Board in evaluating evidence and in determining whether a claimed exemption is deserved. The case we decide today involves a clear departure by the Board from its statutory mandate.”

In Breen v. Selective Service Local Board No. 16, supra, plaintiff held a II-S deferment as a student in a Boston School of Music. He surrendered his draft card in protest of the Viet-Nam war and his local board reclassified him I-A as being delinquent. Both the district court and court of appeals dismissed under section 10(b) (3). The Supreme Court reversed on the authority of Oestereich. The government did not contest plaintiff’s factual allegations concerning his student status. The Court refused to recognize any distinction between exemptions (as in Oestereich) and deferments. The Court pointed out that the ease before it, like Oestereich, involved a “clear departure by the Board from its statutory mandate.”

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