Muhammad Ali

On 28 April 1967 Muhammad Ali refused three times to step forward at his army induction in Houston and was arrested that day. The New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and the World Boxing Association stripped his heavyweight title. On 20 June 1967 a jury found him guilty of draft evasion after 21 minutes. The sentence was five years in prison and a 10,000 dollar fine. He stayed free on appeal but could not get a boxing license in any state for more than three years, until Atlanta granted one on 11 August 1970. He fought again on 26 October 1970.

On 28 June 1971 the US Supreme Court overturned the conviction 8 to 0 in Clay v. United States, because the draft appeal board had given no reasons for rejecting his conscientious objector claim. The ruling was procedural and did not decide whether his beliefs were sincere. By 1996 the man who had been convicted of draft evasion was chosen to light the flame at the Atlanta Olympics.