Ilowite v. United States

Decision Date05 March 1968
Docket NumberNo. 16527.,16527.
Citation390 F.2d 589
PartiesRalph ILOWITE, Petitioner, v. UNITED STATES of America and the Federal Communications Commission, Respondents.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Third Circuit

Victor Rabinowitz, Rabinowitz & Boudin, New York City (Leonard B. Boudin, New York City, on the brief), for petitioner.

Lenore Ehrig, Appeals and Research Section, Internal Security Division, U. S. Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C. (J. Walter Yeagley, Asst. Atty. Gen., Kevin T. Maroney, Atty., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., Henry Geller, Gen. Counsel, John H. Conlin, Assoc. Gen. Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D. C., on the brief), for respondents.

Before McLAUGHLIN, FREEDMAN and SEITZ, Circuit Judges.

OPINION OF THE COURT

PER CURIAM.

The Federal Communications Commission dismissed without prejudice petitioner's applications for amateur and citizen's radio licenses because he refused to answer the Commission's inquiry as to whether he was or had ever been a member of the Communist Party or of any organization or group which advocates or teaches the overthrow of the Government of the United States, or of any political subdivision thereof, by force or violence. The questions were based on Sections 303(l), 308(b) and 309(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. §§ 303(l), 308(b), 309(a)). See also Section 1.961(b) of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. 1.961 (b). The Commission's questions were entirely proper. Borrow v. F. C. C., 109 U.S.App.D.C. 224, 285 F.2d 666 (1960), cert. den. 364 U.S. 892, 81 S.Ct. 223, 5 L.Ed.2d 188 (1960); Cronan v. F. C. C., 109 U.S.App.D.C. 208, 285 F.2d 288 (1960), cert. den. 366 U.S. 904, 81 S.Ct. 1046, 6 L.Ed.2d 203 (1961); Blumenthal v. F. C. C., 115 U.S.App.D.C. 305, 318 F. 2d 276 (1963).

The order of the Commission will be affirmed.

FREEDMAN, Circuit Judge (concurring).

I concur in the affirmance of the order of the Commission. The dissent by Judge Washington in Borrow v. Federal Communications Commission, 109 U.S. App.D.C. 224, 285 F.2d 666 (1960), cert. denied, 364 U.S. 892, 81 S.Ct. 223, 5 L.Ed. 188, is a powerful one, but until the Supreme Court indicates that the majority opinion in that case which has since been followed consistently in the District of Columbia Circuit is erroneous, I believe that our Circuit should follow it.

SEITZ, Circuit Judge (dissenting).

I would reverse for the reasons given in Judge Washington's dissenting opinion in Borrow v. F. C. C., 109 U.S.App.D.C. 224, 285 F.2d 666 (1960), cert. denied 364 U.S. 892, 81 S.Ct. 223, 5 L.Ed. 188; and compare Schneider v. Smith, 390 U.S. 17, 88 S.Ct. 682, 19 L.Ed.2d 799 (1968).

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3 cases
  • Marvin, Application of
    • United States
    • New Jersey Supreme Court
    • January 20, 1969
    ...v. F.C.C., 109 U.S.App.D.C. 224, 285 F.2d 666, certiorari denied, 364 U.S. 892, 81 S.Ct. 223, 5 L.Ed.2d 188 (1960); Ilowite v. United States, 390 F.2d 589 (3d Cir. 1968), vacated for mootness, 393 U.S. 15, 89 S.Ct. 47, 21 L.Ed.2d 15 In making his determination, the official is not authorize......
  • Campos v. F. C. C.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Seventh Circuit
    • June 3, 1981
    ...is not one described in Section 402(b) and is therefore reviewable in this Court pursuant to Section 402(a). See also Ilowite v. United States, 390 F.2d 589 (3d Cir. 1968); Blumenthal v. Federal Communications Commission, 318 F.2d 276 (D.C. Cir. 1963), certiorari denied, 373 U.S. 951, 5 83 ......
  • ILOWITE v. UNITED STATES
    • United States
    • U.S. Supreme Court
    • October 14, 1968
    ...FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT. No. 263. Decided October 14, 1968. Certiorari granted; 390 F.2d 589, vacated and remanded with directions to dismiss the case as moot. Victor Rabinowitz, Leonard B. Boudin, Michael B. Standard, and David Ros......

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