gilligan morgan argued march decided june respondents filed action behalf students state university claiming period civil disorder campus may national guard called governor preserve order violated students rights speech assembly caused injury death students sought injunctive relief restrain governor future prematurely ordering guard troops duty civil disorders injunction restrain guard leaders future violation students rights also sought declaratory judgment ohio revised code unconstitutional district dismissed suit ground complaint failed state claim upon relief granted appeals affirmed dismissal respect injunctive relief governor premature employment guard validity state statute held complaint stated cause action respect one issue remanded district directions resolve question whether pattern training weaponry orders ohio national guard require use fatal force suppressing civilian disorders total circumstances nonlethal force suffice restore order since complaint filed named respondents left university officials originally named defendants longer hold offices exercise authority guard guard adopted new substantially different use force rules civil disorder training guard recruits revised held case resolved basis whether claims alleged complaint narrowed appeals remand justiciable rather possible mootness pp justiciable controversy presented case relief sought respondents requiring initial judicial review continuing judicial surveillance training weaponry standing orders national guard embraces critical areas responsibility vested constitution see art cl legislative executive branches government pp burger delivered opinion white blackmun powell rehnquist joined blackmun filed concurring opinion powell joined post douglas brennan stewart marshall filed dissenting statement post thomas martin assistant attorney general ohio argued cause petitioners briefs william brown attorney general michael geltner argued cause respondents briefs leonard schwartz melvin wulf sanford jay rosen joel gora solicitor general griswold argued cause amicus curiae urging reversal brief assistant attorney general wood robert kopp robert berry kenly webster briefs amici curiae urging affirmance filed david engdahl law revision center jack greenberg james nabrit iii charles stephen ralston drew days iii naacp legal defense educational fund chief justice burger delivered opinion respondents alleging students officers student government kent state university ohio filed action district behalf students october essence complaint period civil disorder around university campus may national guard called governor ohio preserve civil order protect public property violated students rights speech assembly caused injury number students death several actions national guard without legal justification sought injunctive relief governor restrain future prematurely ordering national guard troops duty civil disorders injunction restrain leaders national guard future violation students constitutional rights also sought declaratory judgment ohio revised code unconstitutional district held complaint failed state claim upon relief granted dismissed suit appeals unanimously affirmed district dismissal respect injunctive relief governor premature employment guard future occasions respect validity state statute time however appeals one judge dissenting held complaint stated cause action respect one issue remanded district directions resolve following question pattern training weaponry orders ohio national guard singly together require make inevitable use fatal force suppressing civilian disorders total circumstances critical time nonlethal force suffice restore order use lethal force reasonably necessary note outset since complaint filed district number changes factual situation oral argument informed none named respondents still enrolled university likewise officials originally named party defendants longer hold offices exercise authority state national guard although suit parties successors office addition petitioners solicitor general appearing amicus curiae informed us since ohio national guard adopted new use force rules substantially differing effect complaint filed also informed initial training national guard recruits relating civil disorder control revised respondents assert nevertheless changes situation affect right hearing entitlement injunctive supervisory relief basis therefore exists conclusion case moot however record us prepared resolve case basis therefore turn important question whether claims alleged complaint narrowed appeals remand justiciable ii treat question justiciability basis assumption respondents claims within framework remand order true established evidence assumption address question whether relief district appropriately fashion important note outset case damages sought injuries sustained tragic occurrence kent state action seeking restraining order specified imminently threatened unlawful action rather broad call judicial power assume continuing regulatory jurisdiction activities ohio national guard demand relief presents important questions justiciability respondents continue seek benefit kent state students judicial evaluation appropriateness training weaponry orders ohio national guard demand appeals remand require district establish standards training kind weapons scope kind orders control actions national guard respondents contend thereafter district must assume exercise continuing judicial surveillance guard assure compliance whatever training operations procedures may approved respondents press remedial decree scope even assuming recently adopted changes deemed acceptable evidentiary hearing continued judicial surveillance assure compliance changed standards respondents demand relying due process clause fourteenth amendment respondents seem overlook explicit command art cl vests congress power provide organizing arming disciplining militia governing part may employed service reserving respectively appointment officers authority training militia according discipline prescribed congress emphasis added appeals invited district remand survey certain materials record case example prevention control mobs riots federal bureau investigation dept justice edgar hoover employment troops aid civil authorities instructions members force mass demonstrations police department city new york date report national advisory commission civil disorders judge celebrezze dissent correctly read baker carr said believe congressional executive authority prescribe regulate training weaponry national guard set forth clearly precludes form judicial regulation matters envision form judicial relief directed training weaponry national guard involve serious conflict coordinate political department lack judicially discoverable manageable standards resolving question impossibility deciding without initial policy determination kind clearly nonjudicial discretion impossibility undertaking independent resolution without expressing lack respect due coordinate branches government unusual need unquestioning adherence political decision already made potentiality embarrassment multifarious pronouncements various departments one question baker carr supra relief whether prescribed standards training weaponry simply ordered compliance standards set congress executive necessarily draw courts nonjusticiable political question jurisdiction emphasis added justiciability concept uncertain meaning scope reach illustrated various grounds upon questions sought adjudicated federal courts held justiciable thus justiciable controversy presented parties seek adjudication political question parties asking advisory opinion question sought adjudicated mooted subsequent developments standing maintain action yet remains true usticiability legal concept fixed content susceptible scientific verification utilization resultant many subtle pressures poe ullman testing case standards drawn specifically flast serious deficiencies respect advisory nature judicial declaration sought clear respondents argument indeed language remand added nature questions resolved remand subjects committed expressly political branches government factors coupled uncertainties whether live controversy still exists infirmity posture respondents standing render claim proposed issues remand nonjusticiable difficult think clearer example type governmental action intended constitution left political branches directly responsible judicial branch electoral process moreover difficult conceive area governmental activity courts less competence complex subtle professional decisions composition training equipping control military force essentially professional military judgments subject always civilian control legislative executive branches ultimate responsibility decisions appropriately vested branches government periodically subject electoral accountability power oversight control military force elected representatives officials underlies entire constitutional system majority opinion appeals failed give appropriate weight separation powers voting rights cases baker carr reynolds sims prisoner rights cases haines kerner cited supporting diminish ing vitality political question doctrine yet doctrine held inapplicable certain carefully delineated situations reason federal courts assume demise voting rights cases indeed represented efforts strengthen political system assuring higher level fairness responsiveness political processes assumption continuing judicial review substantive political judgments entrusted expressly coordinate branches government concluding justiciable controversy presented clear neither hold imply conduct national guard always beyond judicial review may accountability judicial forum violations law specific unlawful conduct military personnel whether way damages injunctive relief hold questions presented case decline require district involve directly intimately task assigned appeals orloff willoughby reversed footnotes section provides certain circumstances law enforcement personnel engaged suppressing riot guiltless consequences use necessary proper force ohio rev code ann supp opinion appeals reported sub nom morgan rhodes respondents sought certiorari respect claims tr oral arg memorandum petitioners suggesting question mootness army began give national guard recruits hours additional special training recognizing peculiar role national guard area ed supp et seq initial basic training national guard personnel regulation department army pursuant statutory authority federal jurisdiction commencing national guard units received part basic training hours special training recognition likelihood national guard primary source military personnel called civil disorder situations see dept army reserve enlistment program con supp app xxv anx par footnotes omitted colloquy scope relief sought remand one justice asked fair characterization position case goes back district quarrel specific national guard regulations force want made permanent want continuing surveillance see carried fair statement case geltner counsel respondents answered yes honor fair statement seeking point understanding time complaint filed seeking specific change existed tr oral arg see duncan kahanamoku sterling constantin laird tatum said hen presented claims judicially cognizable injury resulting military intrusion civilian sector federal courts fully empowered consider claims asserting injury nothing nation history decided cases including holding today properly seen giving indication actual threatened injury reason unlawful activities military go unnoticed unremedied justice blackmun justice powell joins concurring respondents brought action seeking broadranging declaratory injunctive relief issue presently relates portion relief sought appeals remand order district limited review determining existence pattern training weaponry orders ohio national guard singly together require make inevitable unjustifiable use lethal force suppressing civilian disorders ohio rules changed identical army rules counsel respondents stated oral argument rules effect provide satisfactory safeguards unwarranted use lethal force ohio national guard tr oral arg special training provided various national guard units narrowly confined setting asked decide issues presented case respondents informed us seek change current national guard regulations rather wish assure continuance constant judicial surveillance orders training weaponry guard continuing surveillance respondents seek little difficulty concluding controversy moot except aspect case relief requested respondents obtained one might argue likelihood future changes rules attenuated even claim continuing review district moot issue need reached district clearly without power grant relief sought respondents complaint rests upon single isolated tragic incident kent state university conditions existed time incident longer prevail respondents complaint contains nothing suggesting likely suffer specific injury future result practices challenge see laird tatum complaint based single past incident containing allegations unspecified speculative threats uncertain harm might occur indefinite time future support respondents standing maintain action see complaint par app roe wade relief sought respondents moreover beyond province judiciary respondents district continuing surveillance evaluate pass upon merits guard training programs weapons use force orders relief sought prospective evaluation matters context particular factual setting predicate relief form injunction continuing activity damages present wholly different issues case relates prospective relief form judicial surveillance highly subjective technical matters involving military training command presents inappropriate subject matter judicial consideration respondents asking district fashioning prospective relief enter upon policy determinations judicially manageable standards lacking baker carr reasons judgment appeals must reversed understanding opinion holds join opinion