Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia found dead in Texas

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday, CBS News has confirmed.

According to the San Antonio News-Express, which was first to report his death, Scalia was found dead in his room at a West Texas resort.

Scalia, 79, was one of the staunchest conservative members of the court. He was nominated in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. He championed the philosophy of “orginalism,” meaning he interprets the Constitution according to what he believes the original authors intended over 200 years ago.

In a 2008 interview with “60 Minutes,” he told correspondent Lesley Stahl that he believes the Constitution is an “enduring” document he wants to defend.

“It’s what did the words mean to the people who ratified the Bill of Rights or who ratified the Constitution,” Scalia said.

“But you do admit that values change? We do adapt. We move,” Stahl asked.

“That’s fine,” he answered. “And so do laws change. Because values change, legislatures abolish the death penalty, permit same-sex marriage if they want, abolish laws against homosexual conduct. That’s how the change in a society occurs. Society doesn’t change through a Constitution.”

His replacement to the court would be President Obama’s third nomination. He previously nominated Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

LAWMAKERS REACT

FLORIDA SENATOR BILL NELSON:

 “I am stunned since Justice Scalia seemed to be in the prime of his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. And I take very seriously our constitutional responsibility to fill this vacancy.”

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SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS:

“He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues. His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his family.”

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FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH:

“Laura and I mourn the death of a brilliant jurist and important American, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He was a towering figure and important judge on our Nation’s highest court. He brought intellect, good judgment, and wit to the bench, and he will be missed by his colleagues and our country.”

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SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL:

“Today our country lost an unwavering champion of a timeless document that unites each of us as Americans. Justice Scalia’s fidelity to the Constitution was rivaled only by the love of his family: his wife Maureen, his nine children, and his many grandchildren. Through the sheer force of his intellect and his legendary wit, this giant of American jurisprudence almost singlehandedly revived an approach to constitutional interpretation that prioritized the text and original meaning? of the Constitution. Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to the entire Scalia family.”

“The American people? should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”

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SENATE MINORITY LEADER HARRY REID:

“There is no doubt Justice Antonin Scalia was a brilliant man. We had our differences and I disagreed with many of his opinions, but he was a dedicated jurist and public servant. I offer my condolences to his family.

“The President can and should send the Senate a nominee right away. With so many important issues pending before the Supreme Court, the Senate has a responsibility to fill vacancies as soon as possible. It would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a year with a vacant seat. Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate’s most essential Constitutional responsibilities.”

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DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS:

“While I differed with Justice Scalia’s views and jurisprudence, he was a brilliant, colorful and outspoken member of the Supreme Court. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his colleagues on the court who mourn his passing.”

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REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND BUSINESSMAN DONALD TRUMP:

“Justice Scalia was a remarkable person and a brilliant Supreme Court Justice, one of the best of all time. His career was defined by his reverence for the Constitution and his legacy of protecting Americans’ most cherished freedoms. He was a Justice who did not believe in legislating from the bench and he is a person whom I held in the highest regard and will always greatly respect his intelligence and conviction to uphold the Constitution of our country. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time.”

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REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND SENATOR TED CRUZ:

“Today our Nation mourns the loss of one of the greatest Justices in history – Justice Antonin Scalia. A champion of our liberties and a stalwart defender of the Constitution, he will go down as one of the few Justices who single-handedly changed the course of legal history.
He authored some of the most important decisions ever, including District of Columbia v. Heller, which recognized our fundamental right under the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms. He was an unrelenting defender of religious liberty, free speech, federalism, the constitutional separation of powers, and private property rights. All liberty-loving Americans should be in mourning.

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REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND SENATOR MARCO RUBIO:

“Justice Scalia was one of the most consequential Americans in our history and a brilliant legal mind who served with only one objective: to interpret and defend the Constitution as written. One of the greatest honors in my life was to attend oral arguments during Town of Greece v. Galloway and see Justice Scalia eloquently defend religious freedom. I will hold that memory forever. The next president must nominate a justice who will continue Justice Scalia’s unwavering belief in the founding principles that we hold dear.”
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TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT:

“Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of God, a patriot, and an unwavering defender of the written Constitution and the Rule of Law. He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution. His fierce loyalty to the Constitution set an unmatched example, not just for judges and lawyers, but for all Americans.”

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FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI:

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.  Justice Scalia, one of the greatest legal minds of the last 100 years, passionately upheld the rule of law and served honorably on our nation’s highest court. He leaves behind a legacy of just service to our judiciary and loyalty for the U.S. Constitution. As our country mourns this great loss, my prayers are with his family.”