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posted by on Saturday February 13 2016, @11:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the sad-song-from-the-supremes dept.

Antonin Scalia, a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice, has died:

US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia - one of most conservative members of the high court - has died. Justice Scalia's death could shift the balance of power on the US high court, allowing President Barack Obama to add a fifth liberal justice to the court. The court's conservative majority has recently stalled major efforts by the Obama administration on climate change and immigration.

Justice Scalia, 79, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. He died in his sleep early on Saturday while in West Texas for [a] hunting trip, the US Marshall service said. Justice Scalia was one of the most prominent proponents of "originalism" - a conservative legal philosophy that believes the US Constitution has a fixed meaning and does not change with the times.

Justice Scalia's death is, unsurprisingly, now being widely reported.

From the San Antonio Express News:

According to a report, Scalia arrived at the ranch on Friday and attended a private party with about 40 people. When he did not appear for breakfast, a person associated with the ranch went to his room and found a body.

[...] The U.S. Marshal Service, the Presidio County sheriff and the FBI were involved in the investigation. Officials with the law enforcement agencies declined to comment.

A federal official who asked not to be named said there was no evidence of foul play and it appeared that Scalia died of natural causes.

A gray Cadillac hearse pulled into the ranch last Saturday afternoon. The hearse came from Alpine Memorial Funeral Home.

Most major news outlets are covering this story, including CNN [video autoplays], The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NBC.


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  • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday February 14 2016, @03:03AM

    by Reziac (2489) on Sunday February 14 2016, @03:03AM (#303944) Homepage

    "Whenever another law disagrees with the Constitution, the Constitution wins. And whenever a historical court decision disagrees with the plain wording of the Constitution, the Constitution wins."

    And even laws that agree with the Constitution should contain sunset clauses, so they can be more readily discarded if they prove not beneficial.

    --
    And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 14 2016, @03:52PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 14 2016, @03:52PM (#304192)

    And even laws that agree with the Constitution should contain sunset clauses, so they can be more readily discarded if they prove not beneficial.

    At least one Founder appears to agree with you on this. Jefferson was of the opinion that US government should be totally redone every twenty years.

    can history produce an instance of rebellion so honourably conducted? ... God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion.