MITCHELL v. U.S., 386 U.S. 972 (1967)
U.S. Supreme Court
MITCHELL v. U.S. , 386 U.S. 972 (1967)386 U.S. 972
David Henry MITCHELL, III,
petitioner,
v.
UNITED STATES.
No. 1012.
Supreme Court of the United States
March 20, 1967
Rehearing Denied May 8, 1967.
See 386 U.S. 1042.
Robert L. Bobrick, for petitioner.
Solicitor General Marshall, Assistant Attorney General Vinson and Beatrice Rosenberg, for the United States.
Petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Denied.
Mr. Justice DOUGLAS dissents:
Petitioner did not report for induction as ordered, was indicted, convicted, and sentenced to five years imprisonment and his conviction was affirmed. 369 F.2d 323. His defense was that the 'war' in Vietnam was being conducted in violation of various treaties to which we were a signatory especially the Treaty of London of August 8, 1945, 59 Stat. 1544, which in Article 6(a) declares that 'waging of a war of aggression' is a 'crime against peace' imposing 'individual responsibility.' Article 8 provides:
Petitioner claimed that the 'war' in Vietnam was a 'war of aggression' within the meaning of the Treaty of London and that Article 8 makes him responsible for participating in it even though he is ordered to do so.*
Mr. Justice Jackson, the United States prosecutor at Nuremberg, stated: 'If certain acts in violation of treaties are crimes, they are crimes whether the United States does them or whether Germany does them, and we are not prepared to lay down a rule of criminal conduct against others which we would not be willing to have invoked against us.' ( International Conference on Military Trials, Dept. State Pub. No. 3880, p. 330.)
Article VI, cl. 2 of the Constitution states that 'treaties' are a part of 'the supreme law of the land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby.'
There is a considerable body of opinion that our actions in Vietnam constitute the waging of an aggressive 'war.'
This case presents the questions:
(1) whether the Treaty of London is a treaty within the meaning of Art. VI, cl. 2;
(2) whether the question as to the waging of an aggressive 'war' is in the context of this criminal prosecution a justiciable question;
(3) whether the Vietnam episode is a 'war' in the sense of the Treaty;
(4) whether petitioner has standing to raise the question;
(5) whether, if he has, it may be tendered as a defense in this criminal case or in amelioration of the punishment.
These are extremely sensitive and delicate questions. But they
should, I think, be answered. Even those who [386 U.S. 972 , 974]
U.S. Supreme Court
MITCHELL v. U.S. , 386 U.S. 972 (1967) 386 U.S. 972 David Henry MITCHELL, III, petitioner,v.
UNITED STATES.
No. 1012. Supreme Court of the United States March 20, 1967 Rehearing Denied May 8, 1967. See 386 U.S. 1042. Robert L. Bobrick, for petitioner. Solicitor General Marshall, Assistant Attorney General Vinson and Beatrice Rosenberg, for the United States. Petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Denied. Mr. Justice DOUGLAS dissents: Petitioner did not report for induction as ordered, was indicted, convicted, and sentenced to five years imprisonment and his conviction was affirmed. 369 F.2d 323. His defense was that the 'war' in Vietnam was being conducted in violation of various treaties to which we were a signatory especially the Treaty of London of August 8, 1945, 59 Stat. 1544, which in Article 6(a) declares that 'waging of a war of aggression' is a 'crime against peace' imposing 'individual responsibility.' Article 8 provides:
