Schuster v. Selective Service Local Board No. 76

330 F. Supp. 702, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12167
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedAugust 4, 1971
DocketCiv. A. No. 71-C-311
StatusPublished

This text of 330 F. Supp. 702 (Schuster v. Selective Service Local Board No. 76) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schuster v. Selective Service Local Board No. 76, 330 F. Supp. 702, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12167 (E.D. Wis. 1971).

Opinion

OPINION ON MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND MOTION TO DISMISS

NATURE OF THE ACTION

REYNOLDS, Chief Judge.

John Paul Schuster, who has been classified a conscientious objector by his local board, seeks a judicial review, prior to the time he is to report for civilian work, of the civilian work assignment made by the local board. Injunctive and declaratory relief are sought.

Jurisdiction is asserted under 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 1361, 1391, and 2201. (It is noted that 28 U.S.C.A. § 1391 is a venue statute and not a jurisdictional statute.)

The case is presently before the court on the plaintiff’s motion for an order temporarily restraining defendants from enforcing the order for civilian work and on the defendants’ motion to dismiss the action.

ALLEGATIONS OF THE COMPLAINT

The complaint alleges that plaintiff was classified 1-0 on March 2, 1970. It further alleges that on two subsequent occasions, March 13, 1970 and October 5, 1970, plaintiff offered to perform work as a math teacher at DuSable Upper Grade Center in Chicago, Illinois, where he was then presently employed and where he is under contract for the school year 1971-1972. On September 15, 1970, plaintiff submitted an “Application of Volunteer for Civilian Work” (SSS Form 151) by which he volunteered for civilian work only at DuSable Upper Grade Center. On several occasions Mr. [704]*704Schuster has written or caused to be written letters attempting to demonstrate that his job at DuSable is appropriate civilian work under the applicable regulations. There are further allegations that on three occasions plaintiff met with his Local Board pursuant to 32 C.F.R. § 1660-20(c) in an attempt to reach agreement on the type of civilian work he was to perform. It is also alleged that on four occasions the local board “arbitrarily, capriciously, and in blatant violation of the applicable statutes and Federal Regulations, refused to recognize plaintiff's requested civilian work as ‘appropriate civilian work.’ ”

On May 5, 1971, the plaintiff was ordered to report for civilian work at the Goodwill Industries in Madison, Wisconsin. The reporting date has been extended twice and is now July 28, 1971.

JURISDICTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

The motions presently pending before the court focus on the threshold issue of the jurisdiction of the court to entertain this action.

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

“ * * * 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 instituted under section 12 of this title [section 462 of this Appendix], after the registrant has responded either affirmatively or negatively to an order to report for induction, or for civilian work in the case of a registrant determined to be opposed to participation in war in any form: * *

The plaintiff seeks to avoid the prohibition in § 10(b) (3) against judicial review of classification or processing prior to a registrant’s response to an order to report for civilian work by relying on two decisions of the United States Supreme Court: Oestereich v. Selective Service System Local Board, 393 U.S. 233, 89 S.Ct. 414, 21 L.Ed.2d 402 (1968), and Breen v. Selective Service Local Board, 396 U.S. 460, 90 S.Ct. 661, 24 L.Ed.2d 653 (1970).

Both Oestereich and Breen allowed preinduction review of I-A classifications. Oestereich had been classified IV-D, exempt from the draft as a student preparing for the ministry under § 6(g) of the Act. He returned his draft registration certificate to the Government in protest of the war in Vietnam. Thereafter his local board declared him delinquent and reclassified him I-A. Breen had been classified II-S, deferred from the draft as an undergraduate student under § 6(h) (1) of the Act. He returned his draft registration certificate to the Government in protest of the war in Vietnam. His Local Board declared him delinqent and reclassified him I-A.

In Oestereich the court held that there was no legislative authority to deprive one who qualified for a statutory exemption of such an exemption because of conduct or activity unrelated to the grant or continuation of the exemption. The court described the Local Board’s conduct as basically lawless and further stated that in instances such as the one involved in Oestereich—

“ * * * 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. To hold that a person deprived of his statutory exemption in such a blatantly lawless manner must either be inducted and raise his protest through habeas corpus or defy induction and defend his refusal in a criminal prosecution is to construe the Act with unnecessary harshness. * * * ’’ 393 U.S. 233, 238, 89 S.Ct. 414, 416.

The Breen case, which involved a statutory deferment, followed the reasoning and holding of Oestereich and determined that the order for induction involved “ ‘a cleár departure by the Board [705]*705from its statutory mandate.’ ” 396 U.S. 460, 467, 90 S.Ct. 661, 666.

The same day that Oestereich, supra, was decided, Clark v. Gabriel, 393 U.S. 256, 89 S.Ct. 424, 21 L.Ed.2d 418 (1968), was decided. The Gabriel case involved a registrant who sought preinduction review of his board’s rejection of his claim for conscientious objector status. The district court granted an injunction. The Supreme Court held this to be improper in that such a decision of the Local Board involved the exercise of its statutory discretion and “inescapably involves a determination of fact and an exercise of judgment.” 393 U.S. 256, 258, 89 S.Ct. 424, 426. Section 10(b) (3) was enacted to prevent preinduction review of such determinations.

The Osiereich Gabriel Breen trilogy has established the guidelines for the application of § 10(b) (3) of the Act. If the action of the Local Board is blatantly lawless, flouts the law, or is a departure from its statutory mandate, then the prohibition of 10(b) (3) is not applicable. If the action of the Local Board involves a determination of fact or the exercise of judgment or discretion on the part of the Board, then prohibition of § 10(b) (3) is applicable. Zerillo v. Local Board No. 102, 440 F.2d 136 (8th Cir. 1971); Fein v. Selective Service System Local Board No. 7, Yonkers, N. Y., 430 F.2d 376 (2d Cir. 1970); McCarthy v. Director of Selective Service System, 322 F.Supp. 1032 (E.D.Wis.1970).

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Related

Clark v. Gabriel
393 U.S. 256 (Supreme Court, 1968)
Breen v. Selective Service Local Board No. 16
396 U.S. 460 (Supreme Court, 1970)
United States v. Charles Douglas Chaudron
425 F.2d 605 (Eighth Circuit, 1970)
Fein v. Selective Service System Local Board No. 7
430 F.2d 376 (Second Circuit, 1970)
Stephen J. Zerillo v. Local Board No. 102
440 F.2d 136 (Eighth Circuit, 1971)
McCarthy v. Director of Selective Service System
322 F. Supp. 1032 (E.D. Wisconsin, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
330 F. Supp. 702, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schuster-v-selective-service-local-board-no-76-wied-1971.