James Aaron Blevins v. United States

Blevins was charged and convicted of the offense of knowingly refusing to submit to induction under the Universal Military Training and Service Act, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix, § 451 et seq. In his appeal here the appellant claims that the classification given him by the local board on order of the appeal board is arbitrary, capricious and without basis in fact. • Careful examination of registrant’s file shows the following facts: In his classification questionnaire filed with his local board in Ely, Nevada, the registrant stated that he was a minister of religion, a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, regularly serving as such, and that he was conscientiously opposed to participation in war. Subsequently he filed the Special Form for Conscientious Objector furnished to him. In this he set forth his religious beliefs. These, he stated, came “through an intensive study of the Bible” and were a part of his “worship of Jehovah God”. He added: “I am not a ‘pacifist’ and believe in the use of force when needed for self-defense. However, I do not condone the wholesale slaughter of men as carried on by the nations of the earth. God favors no political nation as, against another like nation, and a…