United States v. William Howard Munns

After conviction on two counts, (1) failure to report for induction and (2) failure to notify his local board of a change in his home address (50 U.S.C. App. § 462), Munns appeals. We affirm the conviction on the second count.

Appellant was registered with a local board in North Hollywood, California. An order to report for induction was mailed on June 19, 1970 to his parents’ home and received by him there prior to the reporting date. July 7, 1970. He left for Canada on the first of July and did not report as ordered.

His mother sent a letter to the board on August 6, advising that Munns had left the country to establish residence in Canada. The board next received a letter on August 17, mailed from Ottawa but without a return address, in which Munns wrote, “I felt I would not be making my constructive contribution to society in a prison or labor camp.”

Another letter reached the board on September 11, 1970. In it Munns advised the board of his new address in Ottawa and expressed his unwillingness to serve in the armed forces of the United States. He also said he was in the process of acquiring permanent Canadian residence. This letter was apparently in response to a visit…