Biography
Son of Church of the Brethren minister Rev. Vernard Eller. An honors physics-and-math major at church-affiliated Bridgewater College. The second man indicted (July 12, 1982) since the Vietnam War for failure to register — and via his Aug. 17, 1982 conviction, the first 1980s draft-registration nonregistrant convicted. U.S. District Judge James C. Turk found him guilty after a one-day trial, called him "an honorable person," and rejected the government's call for prison. Sentenced to 3 years' probation, ordered to register within 90 days, and assigned 2 years' unpaid public service (cancer research at the Salem VA Medical Center). He never registered; the conviction stands.
