Outline for Muhammad Ali Essay I. Background of case Cassius Clay v. U.S. A. Muhammad Ali 1. Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942 B. Selective Service Board 1. Administrative Agency in charge of induction into Army a. Independent federal agency within the Executive Branch b. Reports to Department of Justice (DoJ); may ask for advisory opinion from DoJ 2. Structure a. Local boards are volunteers from community who decide on deferments, postponements, exemptions b. State boards for appeals from Local Boards c. National Board for appeals from State Boards d. Only after going through all the Selective Service Board process can a case to into a court in the federal court system 3. Requirements for Exemption based on Conscientious Objector (CO) Status a. Individual must be against all wars b. Beliefs must be derived from education c. Beliefs must be sincere4. Muhammad Ali’s Petition for Conscientious Objector Status a. All white local board rejects Ali’s Petition; Ali appeals to State Board b. State Board requests advisory decision from Department of Justice c. Decision by Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) chosen by DoJ: Ali meets requirements for CO Status d. DoJ letter to Kentucky State Board: Reject Ali’s Petition for CO Status (despite ALJ’s advice) e. State Board rejects Ali’s Petition for CO Status f. Ali moves to Texas and Texas Selective Service rejects second petition for CO status from Ali C. Federal Court System a. Federal District Court to try criminal case punishable by 5 years in prison and $10,000 fine; all White Jury convicts Ali; Ali appeals b. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds trial court verdict of conviction; Ali appeals c. US Supreme Court fails to get four Justices who want to hear case (Rule of Four); rejects appeal d. Lawyers for Ali change arguments and appeal again to Supreme Court; four Justices now agree to hear the case II. Second US Supreme Court Appeal A. Acceptance of case 1. Rule of Four (Justice Brennan finds three other Justices willing to hear case) 2. First, preliminary vote by Justices goes against Ali 5-3 3. Chief Justice Warren Burger assigns the writing of the decision against Ali to Justice Harlan B. Justice Harlan’s Decision 1. Harlan assigns writing the decision to his liberal law clerk, Kevin Connolly 2. Connolly can’t make it “write,” meaning that he believes the law is on Ali’s side 3. Harlan changes his mind (that is, to be against Ali and now for Ali’s position) baJesed on a. Jehovah’s Witness case b. The Qur’an c. Message to the Blackman in America by Elijah Muhammad d. Announces to the other Justices of his new position on the case C. Justices find a technicality by which to dismiss the case without accepting Ali’s sincere CO status 1. Failure of Kentucky State’s Selective Service Board’s failure to identify as its basis to reject Ali’s CO Petition which of the three requirements for CO Status Ali failed to meet 2. Allows Court to dismiss the case, relieving Ali of the criminal conviction 3. Refuses to grant Ali the sincerity of his beliefs 4. Ali well aware of what the strategy of the Court means and the decision does not make him happy III. Evaluation A. What is the most important lesson of this case in your view? B. What is your assessment of how useful this docudrama is in an American Government class?