United States v. Robert Sol Levy

469 F.2d 345, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 6697
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedNovember 15, 1972
Docket72-1676
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 469 F.2d 345 (United States v. Robert Sol Levy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Robert Sol Levy, 469 F.2d 345, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 6697 (9th Cir. 1972).

Opinion

TRASK, Circuit Judge:

The appellant stands convicted upon all three counts of a three-count indictment for violation of the Selective Service Act, 50 U.S.C. § 462. Count I charged a failure to report for physical examination on July 13, 1970, as ordered; Counts II and III charged failures to comply with orders to report for induction on December 1, 1970, and on May 5, 1971, respectively. He appealed all three.

Appellant contends that the order to report for a physical examination on July 13, 1970, which he did not obey, had been canceled by a subsequent order to report for examination on September 4, 1970, which he did obey. The same argument received the attention of this court in United States v. Maybury, 453 F.2d 1233 (9th Cir. 1972). We there said:

“This contention is answered by United States v. Wilson, 427 F.2d 649 (9th Cir. 1970). There we held quite succinctly that a board action after the offense has been committed does not erase the offense:
‘The most it [draft board letter] could do . would have been to have terminated defendant’s continuing violation as of the time it was written. But it could not have retroactive effect . . .’ (emphasis in the original) 427 F.2d at p. 650.
“White v. United States, 442 [422] F.2d 1254 (9th Cir. 1970), which May-bury urges, is not in point. Cf. United States v. Martinez, 427 F.2d 1358 (9th Cir. 1970), cert. denied 400 U.S. 879, 91 S.Ct. 122, 27 L.Ed.2d 117 (1970).” 453 F.2d at 1235. 1

We hold that this case is controlled by Maybury and that the conviction on the first count must be affirmed. 2

On November 19, 1970, appellant was sent an order to report for induction on December 1, 1970. His failure to obey *347 this order resulted in his indictment and conviction under Count II. Appellant contends that his right to procedural due process was violated because the local board failed to properly consider a medical claim. The chronology of events from his Selective Service file is helpful to a determination of this claim.

Levy was classified I-A on March 6, 1970. He took no appeal from this classification. 3

An order of April 27, 1970, to report for a physical examination on May 11, 1970, was excused because he had the flu.

On May 1, 1970, a letter signed by appellant’s mother was received by the board stating that the registrant had claustrophobia.

He failed to report in obedience to a second order for a physicial examination on July 13, 1970, which is the subject of Count I. He did report for a physical examination following a third order to do so, and was found acceptable on October 15, 1970.

His subsequent failure to report for induction on December 1, 1970, as ordered, is the subject of Count II of the indictment of September 29, 1971, and the conviction now under consideration. 4

The first basis of the claim of lack of procedural due process is that “there is no indication that the medical claim of claustrophobia mailed to the board by the defendant’s mother on May 1, 1970, was ever brought to the attention of the board itself, or any of the board members.” As the government is quick to point out, there is no indication that the claim was not brought to the attention of the board and there is a presumption of the regularity of the board’s proceedings. United States v. Neekels, 451 F.2d 709 (9th Cir. 1971); United States v. Carson, 449 F.2d 345 (9th Cir. 1971). United States v. Jackson, 454 F.2d 821 (5th Cir. 1972), relied upon by appellant, is readily distinguishable. There defense counsel on cross-examination of the clerk of the board established that the claimed disabling condition had not been called to the attention of the board. Here there was no such testimony or evidence aliunde. On the contrary there is evidence that the claimed condition was called to the attention of the examining board and considered by that group, when registrant finally reported for his physical examination on September 4,1970. 5

The remaining question is whether the letter of May 1 written by *348 the registrant’s mother 6 made a claim on behalf of registrant within the in-tendment of section 1628.2(b) so that the local board was required to order him to present himself for interview with the medical advisor. It did only if it made a claim of a medical condition or physical defect that disqualifies one for service in the armed forces according to the list prescribed by the Surgeon General, section 1628.1.

Appellant does not assert that “claustrophobia” is a disqualifying condition specifically designated by name by the Surgeon General. Rather, the argument is that it is a “personality disorder” under section 2-34 of that regulation. Section 2-34 lists four types of such personality disorders:

(a) Character and behavior disorders including (1) frequent encounters with law enforcement agencies, or antisocial attitudes, (2) homosexuality, (3) alcoholism, (4) drug addiction.
(b) Character and behavior disorders where it is evident by history and objective examination that the degree of immaturity, instability, personality inadequacy, and dependency will seriously interfere with adjustment in the military service as demonstrated by repeated inability to maintain reasonable adjustment in school, with employers and fellowworkers, and other society groups.
(c) Other symptomatic immaturity reactions such as evidence of habitual or persistent enuresis and severe stammering or stuttering.
(d) Specific learning defects resulting from functional mental disorders.

We fail to see in the May 1 letter any facts which would bring appellant’s claims within the Surgeon General’s classification of personality disorders. Certainly it was clearly not within (a), (c) and (d).

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Related

United States v. Bruce Newton Coale
507 F.2d 1313 (Ninth Circuit, 1974)
United States v. Henry Joseph Gutierrez
485 F.2d 1378 (Ninth Circuit, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
469 F.2d 345, 1972 U.S. App. LEXIS 6697, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-robert-sol-levy-ca9-1972.