Michael Schlesinger v. Melvin Laird. No. A-603
Michael Schlesinger v. Melvin Laird. No. A-603
Opinion of the Court
C. A. 7th Cir. Application for stay presented to Mr. Justice Douglas, and by him referred to the Court, denied.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
Applicant, a lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve, has asked this Court for a stay of the order requiring him to report to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for active duty for training, concededly a part of his military obligation. He claims, however, that he is entitled to a medical discharge.
Applicant was examined by three physicians at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. Each was a specialist in the area in which he conducted his examination. Purporting to follow Army regulations governing the standards for retention in the Army, one determined that applicant has a disqualifying foot condition and another that he has a disqualifying allergic condition. The third, a psychiatrist, found that applicant’s psychiatric condition, if further documented, would render him ineligible for service. Despite these findings, the Surgeon General, exercising his ex parte discretion pursuant to Army Regulation 40-501, determined that applicant is qualified for active duty. The only substantiation for that decision submitted to the Court is a letter written by the Surgeon General to Senator Percy, in which he stated that applicant’s problems are not of sufficient severity to render him unfit under Army regulations.
Applicant brought an action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, challenging the decision of the Surgeon General on the grounds
Applicant does not challenge the validity of the regulation allowing the Surgeon General to review the decisions of examining physicians. And, indeed, it may be that applicant is in fact qualified for retention and that the Surgeon General has not abused his discretion. The difficulty I have with the procedure afforded applicant is that the record does not disclose any basis for the Surgeon General’s action. When the District Court concluded that the decision was not arbitrary or capricious and granted summary judgment for the Government, it in effect refused to inquire into the basis for overriding the judgment of the specialists who had examined applicant. This amounts to a conclusion that the Surgeon General has unreviewable discretion.
However one views the merits of military service, there can be no question that it results in very real and severe restrictions on personal liberty. We have always demanded that such restraints, at a minimum, accord with accepted notions of procedural due process. In SEC v. Chenery Corp., 318 U. S. 80, 94, we stated: "The Commission’s action cannot be upheld merely because findings
Since I conclude that the decision of the Surgeon General failed to comport with this basic requirement of procedural due process, I would grant the stay requested.
The Surgeon General apparently considered earlier physical examinations of applicant in addition to those conducted at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.
The order to active duty was postponed pending decision by the District Court. We are told that applicant subsequently was scheduled to report for active duty on December 6 or 7.
Applicant has requested a stay pending his petition to this Court for a writ of certiorari to the Seventh Circuit to review the order denying a stay pending appeal.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Schlesinger v. Laird, Secretary of Defense, Et Al.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published