Supreme Court Overturned
Ali’s Conviction for Failing to Serve in the
Military
After
declining to be inducted because he was a conscientious objector, Muhammad Ali
was convicted in federal court in 1967 of failing to submit to induction into
the armed forces. He faced a fine and a jail term, and was stripped of his
boxing titles and unable to box for several years. Ali’s conviction was
affirmed by the court of appeals the following year.
The Supreme
Court ruled unanimously in Ali’s favor in 1971. The government conceded in the
Supreme Court that Ali’s belief was both based on his religion and sincere, two
of the three requirements to sustain conscientious objector status. This allowed
the Court to reverse the judgment because it was unclear upon which basis Ali’s
claim had been decided by the State Appeal Board.
In pursuing
his conscientious objector status, Ali engaged in the freedom of conscience
that is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. He also accepted the consequences of his actions without
bitterness and with grace. According to news reports, when asked
after his Supreme Court victory if he intended to sue after being kept out of
boxing while his case was appealed, he said no -- both sides did what they thought was right.
