From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Howe v. Laird

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Mar 9, 1972
456 F.2d 233 (5th Cir. 1972)

Opinion

No. 71-3484. Summary Calendar.

Rule 18, 5 Cir.; see Isbell Enterprises, Inc. v. Citizens Casualty Co. of New York et al., 5 Cir. 1970, 431 F.2d 409.

March 9, 1972.

William S. Sessions, U.S. Atty., Charles B. Tennison, San Antonio, Tex., for appellants-respondents.

Leonard J. Schwartz, Patrick D. Burke, San Antonio, Tex., Rigely, Schwartz, Fagan Burke, Inc., San Antonio, Tex., for appellee-petitioner.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Before BELL, DYER and CLARK, Circuit Judges.



The district court concluded that there was no basis in fact for the denial by the Army of conscientious objector status to appellee. We agree. Helwick v. Laird, 5 Cir., 1971, 438 F.2d 959; Kessler v. United States, 5 Cir., 1969, 406 F.2d 151.

The finding of the district court that appellee's statement in support of his application for discharge, if sincere, made out a prima facie case, is not disputed. The Army was of the view that appellee lacked the depth of conviction required to qualify for discharge as a conscientious objector. This result rested on the disbelief of appellee by the Army officials who interviewed him. We are unable to find any ". . . affirmative evidence to support the rejection . . ." nor is there anything in the record which ". . substantially blurs the picture painted by [appellee] and thus casts doubt on his sincerity . . ." Kessler v. United States, supra, 406 F.2d at 156.

Affirmed.


Summaries of

Howe v. Laird

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Mar 9, 1972
456 F.2d 233 (5th Cir. 1972)
Case details for

Howe v. Laird

Case Details

Full title:JAMES J. HOWE, JR., APPELLEE-PETITIONER, v. MELVIN R. LAIRD, SECRETARY OF…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Date published: Mar 9, 1972

Citations

456 F.2d 233 (5th Cir. 1972)

Citing Cases

Garrett v. United States

This does not suggest that a soldier is foreclosed from legal relief if held in the military after he has met…