United States v. Steen

342 F. Supp. 384, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13847
CourtDistrict Court, D. North Dakota
DecidedMay 8, 1972
DocketCrim. No. 9422
StatusPublished

This text of 342 F. Supp. 384 (United States v. Steen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. North Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Steen, 342 F. Supp. 384, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13847 (D.N.D. 1972).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

BENSON, Chief Judge.

The defendant was charged under an indictment alleging violation of Title 50, Appendix, U.S.C. § 462, with having knowingly failed and neglected to comply with an order of his Local Board to report for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States. The defendant waived jury, and the case was tried to the Court.

At the close of the Government’s evidence, and again at the close of all the evidence, the defendant moved for judgment of acquittal. The ruling on the motion was reserved.

The Court makes the following findings of fact:

Defendant was born on May 14, 1950.

On a Classification Questionnaire, SSS Form 100, which was returned on the date required, August 5, 1968, defendant informed the Local Board that “I will be a full time student next [385]*385semester at Moorhead State College; Moorhead, Minnesota.”

The defendant enrolled at Moorhead State College in the fall quarter of 1968, and remained a full time student at the college continuously until the spring quarter of 1970, at which time he dropped out of school.

On March 25, 1969, the defendant was classified I-A and notified of the classification on April 2, 1969. On April 16, 1969, the defendant wrote the Board “I do not know whether or not you still give student deferments; but if you do, I think I am entitled to one as I am in my freshman year at MSC and plan to continue until graduation.”

On April 28, 1969, the Local Board received a request for undergraduate student deferment, SSS Form 104, executed by defendant, and also received a “green” status card furnished by Moorhead State College disclosing the defendant’s status as a full time student at the college.

On June 9, 1969, the defendant was classified II-S. The minutes of the Local Board meeting do not show classification termination dates of those registrants classified II-S. On the back of defendant’s Classification Questionnaire, SSS Form 100, the executive secretary of the board made an entry as follows:

“6-9-69 Classified II-S til October 1969.”

The executive secretary mailed the defendant’s classification, SSS Form 110, on August 6, 1969, but testified she did not know whether or not the termination date was shown on the form mailed to the defendant.

On January 22, 1970, the Local Board reclassified the defendant I-A. Between June 9, 1969, and January 22, 1970, no information relative to the defendant’s status as a full time college student was requested of the defendant nor was any information furnished by the defendant. At the meeting of January 22, 1970, the Local Board classified '917 registrants in a period of three hours.

On February 6, 1970, SSS Form 110 and SSS Form 217 were mailed to the defendant informing him of his I-A classification and of his right to personal appearance and appeal. The defendant made no response to these notices.

On March 17, 1970, the defendant was ordered to report on March 23, 1970, for an armed forces physical examination. On the same date, March 17, 1970, SSS Form 127, Current Information Questionnaire, was mailed to the defendant, returnable before March 23, 1970. The questionnaire was returned by the defendant on March 20, 1970, and disclosed that defendant was a full time student at Moorhead State College.

On March 23, 1970, the defendant reported for physical examination and was found fully acceptable. At that point, the defendant dropped out of school.

On August 28, 1970, the defendant was ordered to report on September 28, 1970, for induction into the armed forces of the United States. He failed to report. On October 30, 1970, defendant was given notice of a new reporting date which was November 23, 1970. The defendant again failed to report. The indictment followed.

From the foregoing facts, the Court concludes there was no basis in fact for the defendant’s I-A classification.

On June 9, 1969, on request, the defendant was granted a II-S classification by the Local Board. There is some question whether the defendant was advised of the October, 1969 termination date. The Court will assume the Board complied with regulations and advised the registrant. Title 32 CFR § 1623.4 (b).

The Government contends that the IIS classification terminated in October, 1969, and to regain the classification the defendant would have to again request it. The Court disagrees.

Notwithstanding the termination date, the II-S classification actually continued until January 22, 1970. The termination date did not ipso facto move [386]*386the defendant up to I-A classification. Section 1622.21(b) CFR provides:

“At the expiration of the period of a registrant’s deferment in Class II, his classification shall be reopened and he shall be classified anew in the manner provided in Part 1625 of this chapter. The registrant may be continued in Class II for a further period of one year or less if such classification is warranted. The same rules shall apply when classifying a registrant at the end of each successive period for which he has been classified in Class II.”

Section 1625.11 CFR provides:

“When the local board reopens the registrant’s classification, it shall consider the new information which it has received and shall again classify the registrant in the same manner as if he had never before been classified. Such classification shall be and have the effect of a new and original classification even though that registrant is again placed in the class that he was in before his classification was reopened.”

It is clear from the foregoing regulations that following the October, 1969 termination date of the defendant’s classification, the Board was required to follow the classification procedures set out in Part 1623, Title 32, CFR, which is entitled Classification Procedure. Section 1623.1(b) CFR provides:

“The registrant’s classification shall be determined solely on the basis of the official forms of the Selective Service System and such other written information as may be contained in his file; provided, that the local board shall proceed with the registrant’s classification and classify him whenever (1) he fails to return his Classification Questionnaire (SSS Form No. 100) within the time allowed by § 1621.10 of this chapter, or (2) he fails to provide the local board with any other information concerning his status which he is requested or required to furnish. Since it is imperative that appeal agencies have available to them all information on which the local board determined the registrant’s classification, oral information shall not be considered unless it is summarized in writing and the summary placed in the registrant’s file. Under no circumstances shall the local board rely upon information received by a member personally unless such information is reduced to writing and placed in the registrant’s file. . . ”

Section 1622.25(a) CFR provides:

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Related

McGee v. United States
402 U.S. 479 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Ronald Dean Pittman v. United States
411 F.2d 635 (Tenth Circuit, 1969)
United States v. Daniel Leslie Brandt
435 F.2d 324 (Ninth Circuit, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
342 F. Supp. 384, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13847, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-steen-ndd-1972.