Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America et al
Filing
172
SUPPLEMENT to MOTION for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint #136 Addressing Standard of Review filed by Defendants Donald H Rumsfeld, United States of America. (Attachments: #1 Appendix Exhibits 1 & 2)(Freeborne, Paul)
Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America et al
Doc. 172
1 TONY WEST Assistant Attorney General 2 ANDRÉ BIROTTE, Jr. United States Attorney 3 JOSEPH H. HUNT VINCENT M. GARVEY 4 PAUL G. FREEBORNE W. SCOTT SIMPSON 5 JOSHUA E. GARDNER RYAN B. PARKER 6 U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division 7 Federal Programs Branch P.O. Box 883 8 Washington, D.C. 20044 Telephone: (202) 353-0543 9 Facsimile: (202) 616-8460 E-mail: paul.freeborne@usdoj.gov 10 Attorneys for Defendants United States 11 of America and Secretary of Defense 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA EASTERN DIVISION ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ) ROBERT M. GATES, Secretary of ) Defense, ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) No. CV04-8425 VAP (Ex) DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW
14 LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS,
Dockets.Justia.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
3 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 ARGUMENT .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
I. II. III. IV. V.
The Court Should Defer Adjudicating the Constitutional Challenge to DADT Based upon Recent Legislative Events. . . . . . . .3 The Court Already Has Correctly Ruled That the Witt Standard Does Not Apply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Assuming Heightened Scrutiny Were Applied, the Standard in Beller Controls and Requires Judgment in Favor of Defendants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 LCR Cannot Satisfy its Burden under a Facial Challenge Regardless of the Standard of Review Applied by the Court. . . . . . 12 Because the Only "Evidence" Appropriate for Consideration in this Case Is the Statute and Legislative History, a Trial Concerning LCR's Facial Constitutional Challenge Is Unwarranted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
14 CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES CASES
3 Beller v. Middendorf, 632 F.2d 788 (9th Cir. 1980).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . passim 4 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Ala. v. Unity Outpatient Surgery Ctr., Inc., 5 490 F.3d 718 (9th Cir. 2007).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 6 Bowers v. Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (1986). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 7 Cook v. Gates, 8 528 F.3d 42 (1st Cir. 2008). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..10, 11,12 9 FCC v. Beach Commc'n, 508 U.S. 307 (1993). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 10 Goldman v. Weinberger, 11 475 U.S. 503 (1986). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 13, 14 12 Holmes v. California Army National Guard, 124 F.3d 1126 (9th Cir. 1997).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 13 Hunt v. Wash. State Apple Adver. Comm'n, 14 432 U.S. 333 (1977). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 15 Kremens v. Bartley, 431 U.S. 119 (1977). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 16 Lawrence v. Texas, 17 539 U.S. 558 (2003). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 18 Leyva v. Certified Grocers of Ca. Ltd., 593 F.2d 857 (9th Cir. 1979).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 19 Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A. v. United States, 20 130 S. Ct. 1324 (2010). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 21 Philips v. Perry, 106 F.3d 1420 (9th Cir. 1997).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 22 Rostker v. Goldberg, 23 453 U.S. 57 (1981). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 24 Sell v. United States, 539 U.S. 166 (2003). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 25 Spector Motor Services v. McLaughlin, 26 323 U.S. 101 (1944). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 27 U.S. v. Vilches-Navarrete, 523 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2008). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 United States v. Raines, 362 U.S. 17 (1960). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2 United States v. Salerno, 3 481 U.S. 739 (1987). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 12 4 Wash. State Grange v. Wash. State Republican Party, 552 U.S. 442 (2008). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9 5 Witt v. Department of the Air Force, 6 527 F.3d 806 (9th Cir. 2008).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . passim 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
STATUTES
8 10 U.S.C. § 654. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 3
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INTRODUCTION Pursuant to the Court's Order of May 27, 2010, see Doc. 170 at 26,
3 defendants submit this supplemental brief addressing the potential application of 4 the standard of review set forth in Witt v. Dep't of the Air Force, 527 F.3d 806 (9th 5 Cir. 2008), to plaintiff Log Cabin Republicans' ("LCR's") facial challenge to the 6 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ("DADT") statute, 10 U.S.C. § 654, and implementing 7 regulations. 8 First, at the outset, defendants urge this Court to defer any ruling as to the 9 applicability of the Witt standard to LCR's facial challenge and, indeed, to stay all 10 further proceedings in this case because the political branches have taken concrete 11 steps to facilitate repeal of the DADT statute. On May 27, 2010, consistent with 12 the strong policy views of the Administration, a majority of the House of 13 Representatives and a majority of the Senate Armed Services Committee voted in 14 support of a measure to repeal the statute upon the issuance of a written 15 certification (signed by the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman 16 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) stating, inter alia, that the Department of Defense had 17 completed its review of implementation of repeal, that the necessary policies and 18 regulations have been prepared, and the implementation of those policies and 19 regulations is consistent with standards of military readiness, military 20 effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention. In light of these 21 developments, principles of constitutional avoidance and respect for the coequal 22 branches of government militate in favor of a stay of proceedings pending 23 completion of the process already undertaken by the political branches. Indeed, 24 this is particularly true where, as here, a plaintiff brings a facial constitutional 25 challenge. Accordingly, the Court should await the outcome of the process in 26 which the political branches are now engaged before deciding the constitutional 27 question presented. 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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Second, should the Court decide to proceed notwithstanding these
2 legislative developments, it already has correctly ruled in its June 9, 2009 Order 3 that the Ninth Circuit "explicitly" limited the three-part analysis set forth in Witt to 4 as-applied challenges, and that LCR's facial challenge is therefore governed by 5 rational basis, not heightened review. See Doc. 83 at 17. There is no basis to 6 reconsider that ruling, which was and remains correct. Indeed, the Ninth Circuit 7 could not have been more clear on that score. The Court of Appeals stated: "[W]e 8 hold that this heightened scrutiny analysis is as-applied rather than facial. `This is 9 the preferred course of adjudication since it enables courts to avoid making 10 unnecessarily broad constitutional judgments.'" Witt, 527 F.3d at 819 (quoting 11 City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Ctr., Inc., 473 U.S. 432, 447 (1985)). Witt's 12 heightened scrutiny standard thus has no application here. 13 Third, even if the Court were now to subject the DADT statute to some form 14 of heightened review beyond rational basis review, the Ninth Circuit previously 15 has considered and rejected, under intermediate scrutiny, a facial substantive due 16 process challenge to the prior, more restrictive version of the policy. See Beller v. 17 Middendorf, 632 F.2d 788, 810-11 (9th Cir. 1980) (Kennedy, J.). Because Witt 18 does not disturb the analysis employed in Beller with respect to facial challenges, 19 the Beller standard, not the as-applied Witt standard, is binding. Because LCR's 20 substantive due process challenge to the DADT statutory policy would fail under 21 the Beller analysis, defendants are entitled to summary judgment as a matter of 22 law. 23 Finally, to the extent the Court nonetheless decides incorrectly to apply the 24 Witt as-applied test in its entirety to LCR's facial challenge, a trial concerning that 25 facial challenge is unnecessary and inappropriate. As settled Supreme Court 26 precedent makes clear, whether under rational basis review or some form of 27 heightened scrutiny, reliance on expert witnesses to undermine the military 28 judgment of Congress is inappropriate. Under our constitutional scheme, it is not
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 for the judiciary to determine whether and to what extent the facts underlying that 2 military judgment have changed. Such a determination is one for the political 3 branches, which are actively engaged in precisely such an analysis. 4 5 I. 6 7 ARGUMENT The Court Should Defer Adjudicating the Constitutional Challenge to DADT Based upon Recent Legislative Events The Court should defer ruling on whether LCR's facial challenge to DADT
8 is governed by the standard of review set forth in Witt, because the political 9 branches have taken concrete steps to facilitate repeal of the DADT statute. 10 At the July 6, 2009 status conference, see Doc. 105-2 at 4-5, the Court asked 11 the parties to make it aware of any legislative developments regarding possible 12 repeal of the DADT statute. The Court should be aware that on May 27, 2010, a 13 majority of the House of Representatives and a majority of the Senate Armed 14 Services Committee voted to add to the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill a 15 measure to repeal the DADT statute. Repeal would be effective upon the issuance 16 of a written certification (signed by the President, the Secretary of Defense, and 17 the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) stating, inter alia, that the Department 18 of Defense has completed its Comprehensive Review on the Implementation of a 19 Repeal of 10 U.S.C. § 654 (currently expected to be completed in December 20 2010), and that 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
(A) the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the recommendations contained in the report and the report's proposed plan of action; (B) the Department of Defense has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to exercise the discretion provided by the repeal of § 654; and (C) the implementation of necessary policies and regulations pursuant to the discretion provided by the repeal of § 654 is consistent with the standards of
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military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.
3 The House and Senate bills contain identical language and are attached hereto as 4 Exhibits 1 and 2, respectively, for the Court's convenience and review. 5 In light of the potential passage of this legislation and the written 6 certifications by the Executive Branch, for several reasons the Court should defer 7 resolving LCR's facial constitutional challenges to DADT. 8 First, courts should not decide constitutional issues if they can reasonably 9 avoid doing so. See Spector Motor Servs. v. McLaughlin, 323 U.S. 101, 105 10 (1944) ("If there is one doctrine more deeply rooted than any other in the process 11 of constitutional adjudication, it is that we ought not to pass on questions of 12 constitutionality . . . unless such adjudication is unavoidable."); U.S. v. 13 Vilches-Navarrete, 523 F.3d 1, 10 n.6 (1st Cir. 2008) ("The maxim that courts 14 should not decide constitutional issues when this can be avoided is as old as the 15 Rocky Mountains and embedded in our legal culture for about as long."). 16 As the Supreme Court explained in rejecting a constitutional challenge to a 17 statute that subsequently had been repealed: "Constitutional adjudication being a 18 matter of `great gravity and delicacy,' we base our refusal to pass on the merits on 19 "the policy rules often invoked by the Court `to avoid passing prematurely on 20 constitutional questions. Because (such) rules operating in `cases confessedly 21 within (the Court's) jurisdiction' . . . they find their source in policy rather than 22 purely constitutional considerations.'" Kremens v. Bartley, 431 U.S. 119, 128 23 (1977) (citations omitted). 24 The principle articulated in Kremens applies with equal force in this case, 25 where LCR brings a facial challenge. It is well-established that "[a] facial 26 challenge to a legislative Act is the most difficult challenge to mount successfully, 27 since the challenger must establish that no set of circumstances exists under which 28 the Act would be valid." United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 745 (1987). A
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 finding of facial invalidity, therefore, is the most sweeping constitutional 2 pronouncement a court can make. It is thus a judgment that courts should refrain 3 from making unless the need to do so "is unavoidable." Spector Motor Servs., 323 4 U.S. at 105. Indeed, the Ninth Circuit recognized as much in Witt itself, noting 5 that facial challenges invite "`unnecessarily broad constitutional judgments.'" 6 Witt, 527 F.3d at 819 (internal citation omitted). Here, where one house of 7 Congress has passed legislation to repeal DADT and the other house is moving 8 forward with repeal, there is plainly no unavoidable necessity to render judgment 9 on the facial validity of DADT. Because a service member separated between 10 now and the effective date of any legislation repealing DADT could bring an as11 applied challenge to a DADT-compelled separation, adjudication of LCR's facial 12 challenge is both avoidable and premature. 13 Second, the Ninth Circuit has recognized that a court may properly stay a 14 case to allow the resolution of independent proceedings that may bear on the case. 15 Leyva v. Certified Grocers of Ca. Ltd., 593 F.2d 857, 863-64 (9th Cir. 1979) ("A 16 trial court may, with propriety, find it is efficient for its own docket and the fairest 17 course for the parties to enter a stay of an action before it, pending resolution of 18 independent proceedings which bear upon the case. This rule applies whether the 19 separate proceedings are judicial, administrative, or arbitral in character, and does 20 not require that the issues in such proceedings are necessarily controlling of the 21 action before the court."). Here, because the results of the legislative proceedings 22 may render this case moot, the Court should stay this case and avoid unnecessarily 23 adjudicating the contested constitutional questions. 24 Third, deferring ruling on LCR's facial constitutional challenge is in the 25 best interest of the parties, the Court, the public, and the military. See Blue Cross 26 & Blue Shield of Ala. v. Unity Outpatient Surgery Ctr., Inc., 490 F.3d 718, 724 27 (9th Cir. 2007) (in determining whether to grant a stay, courts should consider the 28 interests of the parties, the public, and the court). LCR has stated that, if this case
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 proceeds to trial, it intends to call seven expert witnesses and tentwelve fact 2 witnesses, and introduce over 3,000 pages of documents as trial exhibits.1 3 Deferring ruling on LCR's facial constitutional claim would potentially save the 4 parties and the Court from expending considerable time and resources on pretrial 5 motions, trial preparation, trial, and any potential post-trial briefing concerning the 6 constitutionality of a statute that may be repealed. 7 Finally, the public and military also have an interest in having Congress and 8 the Executive Branch, rather than the Court, decide this issue. The Supreme Court 9 has articulated both constitutional and institutional reasons for allowing Congress, 10 rather than the courts, to make decisions regarding the military. Rostker v. 11 Goldberg, 453 U.S. 57, 66 (1981) ("Not only is the scope of Congress' constitu12 tional power in this area broad, but the lack of competence on the part of the 13 courts is marked."). Indeed, the repeal provision before Congress contains a series 14 of specific requirements that will ensure that the potential repeal of DADT is 15 implemented efficiently and in a manner that takes into account the results of the 16 study by the military working group. 17 In light of these recent legislative developments, the Court should defer 18 ruling on LCR's facial constitutional challenge to allow the political branches to 19 properly consider whether the implementation of a repeal would be consistent with 20 the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, and unit cohesion. 21 II. 22 23 The Court Already Has Correctly Ruled That the Witt Standard Does Not Apply Should this Court nevertheless decide to consider LCR's facial challenge in
24 these unusual circumstances, it should adhere to its prior ruling that the standard 25 of review set forth in Witt governs only as-applied not facial challenges. See 26 27 28
Because evidence is inappropriate in a facial challenge to a federal statute, defendants intend to file at the appropriate time motions in limine to exclude LCR's expert witnesses, lay testimony (whether provided live at trial or through deposition designation), and trial exhibits.
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543 1
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1 Doc. 83 at 15-17. The Witt standard referenced in the Court's Order of May 27, 2 2010, is the same standard and language that the Court discussed in its earlier June 3 9, 2009 Order. Compare Doc. 83 at 15:12-18 with Doc. 177 at 26:11-14 (quoting 4 same text from Witt, 527 F.3d at 819). The Court correctly noted that "[i]n the 5 same discussion" in Witt where this standard is set forth, the "Ninth Circuit . . . 6 explicitly `h[e]ld that this heightened scrutiny analysis is as-applied rather than 7 facial . . . .'" See Doc. 83 at 15:22-23 (quoting Witt, 527 F.3d at 819) (emphasis 8 added). This conclusion is indisputably correct, and there is no basis to revisit the 9 Court's earlier ruling in this regard. Nor is there any basis to now reconsider the 10 Court's recognition that the Ninth Circuit's decision in Witt "clearly limits the 11 heightened scrutiny standard it announces to [as-applied] challenges." See Doc. 12 83 at 16: 17-18. This Court's ruling that LCR cannot "rely upon Witt's heightened 13 scrutiny standard" and must instead show that the policy violates rational basis 14 review, see Doc. 83 at 17:1-3, is correct and should be applied at the summary 15 judgment stage if the Court decides not to stay the litigation. 16 Critical to the Ninth Circuit's analysis in Witt was its conclusion that the 17 modified analysis employed in Sell v. United States, 539 U.S. 166 (2003), must be 18 "as-applied rather than facial." See Witt, 527 F.3d at 819. The Ninth Circuit thus 19 made clear that challenges to the DADT statute under heightened scrutiny must be 20 as-applied and conducted through an "individualized balancing analysis." Witt, 21 527 F.3d 821. The court in Witt emphasized that the application of the second and 22 third Sell factors requires an "as-applied" challenge tied "specifically" to the 23 circumstances of an individual. Id. at 821. It is "[o]nly then [that] DADT [can] be 24 measured against the . . . constitutional standard" adopted in Witt. Id. 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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The Ninth Circuit insisted upon such an as-applied application of
2 heightened scrutiny because courts otherwise would be pressed, as here, to make 3 "unnecessarily broad constitutional judgments." Id. at 819 (citations omitted).2 4 Applying the three-part Witt test equally to both facial and as-applied challenges 5 would contravene the core rationale for the Witt test, as well as Supreme Court 6 precedent recognizing that facial challenges to statutes such as the DADT statute 7 are disfavored. See Wash. State Grange v. Wash. State Republican Party, 552 8 U.S. 442, 452 (2008). Because "[c]laims of facial invalidity often rest on 9 speculation . . . they raise the risk of `premature interpretation of statutes on the 10 basis of factually barebones records.'" Id. at 450 (quoting Sabri v. United States, 11 541 U.S. 600, 609 (2004)). "Facial challenges also run contrary to the fundamental 12 principle of judicial restraint that courts should neither `anticipate a question of 13 constitutional law in advance of the necessity of deciding it' nor `formulate a rule 14 of constitutional law broader than is required by the precise facts to which it is to 15 be applied.'" Id. (quoting Ashwander v. TVA, 297 U.S. 288, 347 (1936) (Brandeis, 16 J., concurring)); accord United States v. Raines, 362 U.S. 17, 21(1960). 17 Permitting facial challenges to proceed, moreover, "threaten[s] to short circuit the 18 19
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Because of the Ninth Circuit's recognition in this regard, defendants continue to
20 contend that LCR's facial challenge cannot continue after the Ninth Circuit's decision in Witt. 21 to the statute can proceed. See Doc. 77 at 5-7 (citing and quoting Witt). Because LCR makes a 22 facial challenge to the statute, its substantive due process challenge cannot proceed as a matter of
law. And second, unlike the situation in Witt, which was brought by an individual, LCR seeks to makes clear that substantive due process challenges require the involvement of an individual, First, the Witt panel was careful to note that only "as-applied" substantive due process challenges
23 establish associational standing to challenge the statute. See Doc. 77 at 7-8. Because Witt now 24 however, LCR cannot satisfy its burden of establishing associational standing; associational 25 standing is precluded as a matter of law where the involvement of an individual is required. See 26 of the claim and of the relief sought does not make the individual participation of each injured 27 party indispensable to proper resolution of the cause, the association may be an appropriate
representative of its members, entitled to invoke the court's jurisdiction"). Hunt v. Wash. State Apple Adver. Comm'n, 432 U.S. 333, 342-343 (1977) ("so long as the nature
28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 democratic process by preventing laws embodying the will of the people from 2 being implemented in a manner consistent with the Constitution." Wash. State 3 Grange, 552 U.S. at 451. Accordingly, binding Ninth Circuit precedent requires 4 that, in adjudicating LCR's substantive due process challenge, the Court should 5 refrain from applying the Witt standard altogether and, instead apply rational basis 6 review.3 7 III. 8 9 Assuming Heightened Scrutiny Were Applied, the Standard in Beller Controls and Requires Judgment in Favor of Defendants Assuming the Court were now to adopt some form of heightened scrutiny in
10 analyzing LCR's facial substantive due process challenge, the Ninth Circuit's 11 binding decision in Beller v. Middendorf, 632 F.2d 788 (9th Cir. 1980), would 12 apply, not the standard of review set forth in the Witt case. 13 In Beller, the Ninth Circuit rejected a facial substantive due process chal14 lenge to the more restrictive policy that preceded the DADT statute. See id. at 15 810-11. In evaluating that prior policy, the court assumed for the sake of 16 argument that a heightened constitutional level of scrutiny applied to it. See id. at 17 810. The court nonetheless upheld the policy even under that assumption, 18 emphasizing that the military's identity as the employer was "crucial" to its deci19 sion to reject plaintiffs' facial substantive due process challenge, because the 20 21 22
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23 interest" applies equally whether the analysis is facial or as applied. Although the Ninth 24 Circuit in Witt remanded that case to the district court to develop a factual record on the
The first Witt factor whether the statute advances "an important governmental
application of the second and third prongs "as applied to Major Witt," 527 F.3d at 821, the Court observed, "[i]t is clear that the government advances an important governmental interest. DADT
25 of Appeals concluded that DADT satisfies the first factor of the Witt analysis. As the Witt panel 26 concerns the management of the military, and judicial deference to . . . congressional exercise of 27 authority is at its apogee when legislative action under the congressional authority to raise and
support armies and make rules and regulations for their governance is challenged." 527 F.3d at
28 821 (quoting Rostker, 453 at 70).
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
1 "Supreme Court has repeatedly held that constitutional rights must be viewed in 2 light of the special circumstances and needs of the armed forces." Id. 3 Beller remains good law in the context of a facial constitutional challenge. 4 Indeed, although the Ninth Circuit in Witt concluded that Beller had been 5 overruled by subsequent Supreme Court precedent involving as-applied challenges 6 and thus that Beller did not foreclose an as-applied challenge to the DADT statute, 7 see 527 F.3d at 819-20 & n.9, Witt did not abrogate Beller's holding that facial 8 challenges to the military's more restrictive version of DADT would fail. See id. 9 at 820 (noting that "in Beller we explicitly declined to perform an as-applied 10 analysis"). And a facial challenge is the only type of challenge brought here.4 11 The Ninth Circuit's facial substantive due process analysis in Beller is 12 entirely consistent with the post-Lawrence facial due process analysis employed 13 by the First Circuit in Cook v. Gates, 528 F.3d 42 (1st Cir. 2008). In Cook, the 14 First Circuit rejected a facial substantive due process challenge to DADT. Id. at 15 56. The court held that the Lawrence Court "made it abundantly clear that there 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
In holding that plaintiff's complaint stated a viable facial substantive due process claim, this Court relied on Justice Kennedy's opinion in Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). Lawrence sustained a substantive due process challenge to a statute that criminalized homosexual conduct among consenting civilian adults, thus overruling Bowers v. Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (1986), which had reached the opposite conclusion for a similar criminal statute. Id. at 578. This Court reasoned that Lawrence implicitly overruled Holmes v. California Army National Guard, 124 F.3d 1126, 1136 (9th Cir. 1997), because Holmes had relied on Bowers in rejecting a substantive due process challenge to DADT. See Doc. 83 at 17-18. But Lawrence does not undermine the reasoning on which then-Judge Kennedy relied 23 years earlier to reject the facial substantive due process challenge in the Beller case. Beller concluded that the issue presented in Lawrence that is, whether the government may criminalize homosexual conduct done in the privacy of the home by consenting civilian adults is distinct from the issue in this case that is, whether Congress may require those serving in the military to refrain from engaging in homosexual conduct. Beller stated that other "cases might require resolution of the question whether there is a right to engage in this conduct in at least some circumstances." 632 F.2d at 810. "The instant cases," the court observed in Beller, "are not ones in which the state seeks to use its criminal processes to coerce persons to comply with a moral precept even if they are consenting adults acting in private without injury to each other." Id.
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543 4
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1 are many types of sexual activity that are beyond the reach of that opinion," and 2 that DADT "includes such other types of sexual activities." See id. 3 As in Beller, the First Circuit in Cook recognized that deference to Congress 4 in military matters is "well-established." Id. at 57 ("It is unquestionable that 5 judicial deference to congressional decision-making in the area of military affairs 6 heavily influences the analysis and resolution of constitutional challenges that 7 arise in this context"). This measure of deference is to be accorded regardless of 8 the standard of review that applies. In Goldman v. Weinberger, 475 U.S. 503 9 (1986), for example, a serviceman who was both an Orthodox Jew and an ordained 10 rabbi challenged an Air Force regulation preventing him from wearing his 11 yarmulke while in uniform, claiming that the regulation infringed upon his First 12 Amendment freedom of exercise and religious belief. The Court declined to 13 second-guess the military's judgment that requiring servicemembers to wear only 14 authorized headgear promoted military discipline and readiness, recognizing that 15 "when evaluating whether military needs justify a particular restriction on 16 religiously motivated conduct, courts must give great deference to the professional 17 judgment of military authorities concerning the relative importance of a particular 18 military interest." Id. at 507. The Supreme Court thus rejected plaintiff's First 19 Amendment challenge and held that its "review of military regulations challenged 20 on First Amendment grounds is far more deferential than constitutional review of 21 similar laws or regulations designed for civilian society." Id. at 507. The 22 appellate courts in Beller and Cook recognized the management of the military as 23 an important government interest, and the Ninth Circuit has reaffirmed that 24 important governmental interest in Witt. See Witt, 527 F.3d at 821. 25 Accordingly, even if this Court were to decide to forgo rational-basis review 26 and apply a higher standard of scrutiny, it is bound by the standard recognized in 27 Beller. Under that standard, defendants are entitled to summary judgment. 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 IV. 2 3
LCR Cannot Satisfy its Burden under a Facial Challenge Regardless of the Standard of Review Applied by the Court As noted above, a facial challenge "is the most difficult challenge to mount
4 successfully, since the challenger must establish that no set of circumstances exists 5 under which the Act would be valid." Salerno, 481 U.S. at 745. 6 In fact, as the First Circuit held, there are undoubtedly applications of 7 DADT that are constitutional. See Cook, 528 F.3d at 56. Accordingly, any facial 8 challenge must fail. 9 Moreover, given (1) the extensive findings contained in DADT's legislative 10 history, and (2) the substantial deference this Court owes to those findings 11 particularly in the context of military affairs, LCR cannot discharge its heavy 12 burden of establishing a facial substantive due process violation, regardless of the 13 standard of review applied. 14 The Ninth Circuit already has observed that Congress in 1993 could have 15 found that the DADT policy "further[s] military effectiveness." Philips v. Perry, 16 106 F.3d 1420, 1429 (9th Cir. 1997). The Ninth Circuit in Philips concluded that 17 the Court of Appeals could not say that "the Navy's concerns are based on `mere 18 negative attitudes, or fear, unsubstantiated by factors which are properly 19 cognizable' by the military," nor could it say that the rationale for the policy 20 "lacks any `footing in the realities' of the Naval environment in which Philips 21 served." Id. (quoting Cleburne, 473 U.S. at 448). Because the Ninth Circuit's 22 determination in this regard would apply equally to a case governed by rational 23 basis or a case governed by some form of heightened review, LCR cannot satisfy 24 its burden of proof under its facial challenge regardless of the standard of review. 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 V. 2 3 4
Because the Only "Evidence" Appropriate for Consideration in this Case Is the Statute and Legislative History, a Trial Concerning LCR's Facial Constitutional Challenge Is Unwarranted In its May 27, 2010 Order, this Court granted defendants leave to file "any
5 further supporting evidence" in support of their summary judgment motion. See 6 Doc. 170 at 27. Regardless of the level of scrutiny the Court ultimately employs 7 in this case, however, the question of DADT's constitutionality should be decided 8 as a matter of law without reference to evidence adduced through discovery. 9 Accordingly, a trial on LCR's facial constitutional challenge is inappropriate. 10 In its opposition to summary judgment, LCR relies heavily upon expert 11 witnesses and a host of documents many of which post-date the enactment of 12 DADT. As an initial matter, the Supreme Court has made abundantly clear that a 13 legislative choice subject to the rational basis test "is not subject to courtroom 14 fact-finding and may be based on rational speculation unsupported by evidence or 15 empirical data." FCC v. Beach Commc'n, 508 U.S. 307, 315 (1993). LCR's 16 reliance on expert witnesses and numerous documents is therefore particularly 17 inappropriate. 18 Moreover, the Supreme Court has rejected reliance upon expert testimony to 19 support a constitutional challenge to military policy. See Goldman, 475 U.S. at 20 509. As noted above, in Goldman, an Air Force colonel challenged on First 21 Amendment Free Exercise grounds an Air Force regulation banning the wearing of 22 a yarmulke while in uniform. Id. at 504. As in this case, the plaintiff in Goldman 23 sought to introduce expert testimony to contradict the Air Force's rationale for the 24 ban. Id. at 509. The Supreme Court rejected that notion out of hand, finding 25 expert testimony to have no relevance in the context of a constitutional challenge 26 to military policy, and held that "[w]hether or not expert witnesses may feel that 27 religious exceptions to [the air force regulation] are desirable is quite beside the 28 point. The desirability of dress regulations in the military is decided by the
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
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1 appropriate military officials, and they are under no constitutional mandate to 2 abandon their considered professional judgment." Id.5 As in Goldman, the 3 legislative history in this case reflects the substantial congressional and military 4 deliberation on this issue, and LCR's attempt to contradict that deliberation 5 through the submission of expert testimony should be rejected given the deference 6 owed to Congress and the military in this area. 7 In short, it is inappropriate for courts to pass on the constitutional validity of 8 a duly enacted federal statute governing military matters based on judicial 9 assessments that the facts underlying Congress's military judgments have 10 changed. Instead, it is up to the political branches to determine whether changed 11 circumstances warrant a change in military policy something they are actively 12 undertaking at this time. Accordingly, defendants respectfully submit that 13 conducting a trial regarding LCR's facial constitutional claims is unnecessary, as 14 there are no legally relevant facts that could be adduced beyond the statute and 15 legislative history.6 16 17 CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons, the Court should defer ruling on LCR's challenge
18 to allow the political branches to properly consider whether the implementation of 19 a repeal of the policy would be consistent with the standards of military readiness, 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Similarly, in the context of a First Amendment challenge to the federal bankruptcy statute, the Supreme Court earlier this year rejected the notion that the government must adduce evidence before banning misleading advertising, instead crediting "[e]vidence in the congressional record demonstrating a pattern of" misleading conduct. Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A. v. United States, 130 S. Ct. 1324, 1340 (2010). While defendants respectfully disagree with the Court's conclusions regarding standing in its Order of May 27, 2010, any trial in this case should be limited to the question of LCR's standing, as to which there remain one or more "genuine issues of fact." See Doc. 170 at 21. Standing is a fundamental, threshold basis for plaintiff's cause of action, and it is the Court's institutional obligation to ensure that it has subject-matter jurisdiction before it proceeds to the merits.
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543 6 5
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1 military effectiveness, and unit cohesion. If the Court declines to do so, it should 2 apply rational basis review to LCR's facial constitutional challenge, and grant 3 defendants' motion for summary judgment. To the extent the Court concludes that 4 heightened scrutiny applies, it should apply the standard articulated in Beller and 5 grant defendants' motion for summary judgment, particularly given that LCR 6 brings only a facial challenge to the statute. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
DEFENDANTS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF ON STANDARD OF REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL DIVISION, FEDERAL PROGRAMS BRANCH P.O. BOX 883, BEN FRANKLIN STATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044 (202) 353-0543
Dated: June 9, 2010
Respectfully submitted, TONY WEST Assistant Attorney General ANDRÉ BIROTTE, JR United States Attorney JOSEPH H. HUNT Director VINCENT M. GARVEY Deputy Branch Director /S/ Paul G. Freeborne PAUL G. FREEBORNE W. SCOTT SIMPSON JOSHUA E. GARDNER RYAN B. PARKER Trial Attorneys U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division Federal Programs Branch 20 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Room 6108 Washington, D.C. 20044 Telephone: (202) 353-0543 Facsimile: (202) 616-8202 paul.freeborne@usdoj.gov Attorneys for Defendants United States of America and Secretary of Defense
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