United States v. Kurki

255 F. Supp. 161, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6592
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJune 22, 1966
Docket65-CR-135
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 255 F. Supp. 161 (United States v. Kurki) 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
United States v. Kurki, 255 F. Supp. 161, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6592 (E.D. Wis. 1966).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

REYNOLDS, District Judge.

Irving Alex Kurki is charged in an indictment returned November 9, 1965, with knowingly failing to report for induction into the Armed Forces after being classified I-A by his local draft board, a violation of 50 U.S.C.A. App. § 462.

The defendant entered a plea of “not guilty” on December 6, 1965.

The case is presently before the court on a motion to dismiss the indictment. The crux of the motion is that before a person can be convicted of a violation of 50 U.S.C.A. App. § 462, he must be afforded the opportunity to have his selective service file remanded to the Selective Service System for consideration of a claim of conscientious objector status first asserted after indictment. Before discussing this motion, a review of the proceeding prior to the filing of the motion is necessary.

PREINDICTMENT PROCEEDINGS

On June 18, 1964, Kurki executed a Classification Questionnaire which was received by his local board on June 24, 1964. Series VIII of this questionnaire, which invites an assertion of a claim of conscientious objector status, was left completely blank. On August 11, 1964, the local board, by a vote of three to nothing, classified Kurki I-A. Notice of this classification was mailed to Kurki on August 14, 1964.

On November 3, 1964, a Current Information Questionnaire was sent to Kurki, and the executed questionnaire was received by the local board on November 13, 1964. Although the instructions on the questionnaire state that a registrant may attach any additional information that he believes should be *163 brought to the attention of the local board, Kurki did not supply any information concerning a claim of being a conscientious objector.

On March 2,1965, a second Current Information Questionnaire was sent to Kurki. Before its return and on March 16, 1965, Kurki was sent, a notice to report for a physical examination. On April 1, 1965, the local board received the second questionnaire executed by Kurki. This questionnaire had no information attached which would indicate that Kurki claimed conscientious objector status. On April 16, 1965, Kurki was sent a Statement of Acceptability notifying him that he had been found fully acceptable for induction into the Armed Forces.

On July 19, 1965, the local board reviewed Kurki’s selective service file and found no change in his status. The vote was three to nothing. The next day an order to report for induction was mailed to Kurki. The date for induction was August 10, 1965. In a letter dated August 2, 1965, directed to the local board and others, Kurki announced his refusal to serve in the Armed Forces. The reasons for his refusal were stated in the letter which is Appendix “A” to this opinion and order.

On August 10, 1965, Kurki reported to the office of the local board * but said that he was not going to the induction station for induction into the Armed Forces. He was asked to leave at once.

The minutes of actions by the local board show that on August 17, 1965, the members of the local board believed that they could not secure the induction of Kurki. The vote was three to nothing.

Two-days later the local board mailed a Delinquent Registrant Report to the Wisconsin State Headquarters for transmittal to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

On November 9, 1965, the grand jury returned an indictment charging Kurki with a violation of 50 U.S.C.A. App. § 462.

POST-INDICTMENT PROCEEDINGS

After indictment, Kurki entered a plea of “not guilty” to the offense charged, On January 3, 1966, a motion to dismiss the indictment was filed on Kurki’s behalf by his retained attorney. That motion listed three grounds in support of dismissal: (1) that the order to report for induction was invalid since it was in furtherance of a violation of the Separation of Powers provision of the Constitution and contrary to the provision of the Constitution giving Congress the sole authority to declare war; (2) that the °"der, wa‘\.in iterance of a violation °* internaüonal kw; to-wit, the Charter of ,the Umted Nat,lons; and <8> ^ the order was m violation of Kurki’s free speech riíd!talld hl? ri^ht,to petlܰn the government for redress of grievances.

On January 11, 1966, Kurki, by letter, advised the court that he had retained different counsel.

On February 10, 1966, the motion to dismiss the indictment, which is now before the court, was filed by Kurki’s newly-retained coúnsel.

This motion is grounded on the follow- 'mS propositions:

lt That no one can be convicted of a violation of 50 U.S.C.A. App. § 462 without first being afforded the opportunity demonstrate to the Selective Service System that he is entitled to an exemption as a conscientious objector as defined in 50 U.S.C.A. App. § 456(j);

2. That the defendant presented no evidence to the Selective Service System concerning his now claimed conscientious objector status;

3. That the defendant did not willfully, with a view to frustrating selective *164 service procedures, fail to present evidence of his conscientious objector status, nor did he negligently fail to avail himself of selective service procedures seeking a determination of his claimed conscientious objector status; and

4. That the defendant’s failure to present evidence to the Selective Service System was due to excusable neglect considering the substantial change in the scope of 50 U.S.C.A. App. § 456(j), occasioned by the rationale of United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163, 85 S.Ct. 850, 13 L.Ed.2d 733, decided March 8, 1965.

For the above reasons, the defendant seeks dismissal of the indictment and a remand of the matter to the Selective Service System. This motion to dismiss also stated that the defendant withdrew his earlier motion to dismiss.

,. , „ The motion now before the court was supported by an affidavit from the defendant which is attached to this opinion and order as Appendix B.”

DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION TO T^TQT\/rTC‘C« 0 00

A study of the defendant’s selective service file, his affidavit submitted in support of his motion, and the briefs, argument, and authorities cited leads this court to the conclusion that the motion must be denied.

The record in this case shows beyond any question that the defendant at no time appealed or in any way challenged his I-A classification, or submitted any evidence to his local board, as to his presently claimed conscientious objector status. In fact, the first time that any mention of a claim of such status was made was at the time of the filing of this motion.

. [1] The law is well settled that the failure to take an appeal from a classification and to otherwise exhaust administrative remedies precludes a judicial review of the classification. United States v. Nichols, 241 F.2d 1 (7th Cir. 1957); United States v. Dorn, 121 F.Supp. 171 (E.D.Wis.1954). This rule controls this case unless the authority in Glover v.

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Bluebook (online)
255 F. Supp. 161, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6592, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kurki-wied-1966.