U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin reportedly died in his sleep overnight while on a hunting trip at a resort ranch near the town of Marfa, Texas. (Photo: US Supreme Court)
Feb 12, 2016
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead on Saturday, reportedly of natural causes, at a high-end resort in Texas.
Citing an "El Paso source close Scalia," local affiliate ABC 7 reported "that the 79-year-old died in his sleep last night after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas."
Subsequently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement confirming Scalia's death.
Scalia--the longest-serving Justice on the current court was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986--was known as one of its most right-wing and regressive voices.
Though much of the mainstream media immediately dove into the praising Scalia's notable accomplishments, a number of his critics took to social media in order to ensure the numerous destructive aspects of his legal legacy--despite the predictable calls that such discussions are somehow impolite--were not locked out of the discussion.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
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.
Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, of the Western Judicial District of Texas, was notified about the death from the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said he was among those notified about Scalia's death.
"I was told it was this morning," Biery said of Scalia's death. "It happened on a ranch out near Marfa. As far as the details, I think it's pretty vague right now as to how," he said. "My reaction is it's very unfortunate. It's unfortunate with any death, and politically in the presidential cycle we're in, my educated guess is nothing will happen before the next president is elected."
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.
Though much of the mainstream press was quickly lining up on Saturday to offer glowing commemorations of his career as a public servant, many on Twitter wanted to be sure that his destructive judicial legacy was not completely whitewashed. At the same time, others began taking stock of the political implications of the now vacant seat on the nation's highest court:
\u201cWhen political figures die, there's a race to define their memory. That memory can have powerful repercussions. So remember Scalia's victims\u201d— Dave Zirin (@Dave Zirin) 1455403584
\u201cSend condolences to Justice Scalia's family. May he RIP. Yet, at this time must also analyze what this means for our country.\u201d— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@Katrina vandenHeuvel) 1455402540
\u201cScalia was a whackjob who became a bellwether. A very sad story, actually. https://t.co/ZUrAgfsOhk\u201d— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org) 1455403608
\u201cWhat are the chances that President Trump/Cruz is able to push through a nominee worse than Scalia?\u201d— Ali Gharib (@Ali Gharib) 1455402304
\u201cScalia v. The World: On Antonin Scalia via @thenation https://t.co/pCXtluMxwW\u201d— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@Katrina vandenHeuvel) 1455403501
\u201cI have never forgotten this quote \u201cMere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached\u201d.\nAntonin Scalia\u201d— Bianca Jagger Nicaraguense por gracia de Dios \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddee (@Bianca Jagger Nicaraguense por gracia de Dios \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddee) 1455403460
\u201cDeath of Justice Scalia will transform D/R presidential races. It's always said presidential races are about SCOTUS. Now, it really will be.\u201d— John Nichols (@John Nichols) 1455403326
\u201cMany #Scalia moments circulating tonight. A climate-related gem from Clean Air Act/CO2 ('06) https://t.co/OgdwwHhLU5\u201d— Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f (@Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f) 1455403677
\u201cJustice Antonin Scalia, Who Led a Conservative Renaissance on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 79 https://t.co/VL4lrBgKaD\u201d— BillMoyers.com (@BillMoyers.com) 1455403439
\u201cI believe this denial of stay of execution on Wednesday is the last official action of Antonin Scalia on #SCOTUS.\u201d— Chris Johnson (@Chris Johnson) 1455403785
\u201c"How dare you politicize #Scalia's death? It's too soon!"\n2 mins later...\n"We will stop Obama's new appointment at all costs!"\u201d— Christian Christensen (@Christian Christensen) 1455405319
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead on Saturday, reportedly of natural causes, at a high-end resort in Texas.
Citing an "El Paso source close Scalia," local affiliate ABC 7 reported "that the 79-year-old died in his sleep last night after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas."
Subsequently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement confirming Scalia's death.
Scalia--the longest-serving Justice on the current court was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986--was known as one of its most right-wing and regressive voices.
Though much of the mainstream media immediately dove into the praising Scalia's notable accomplishments, a number of his critics took to social media in order to ensure the numerous destructive aspects of his legal legacy--despite the predictable calls that such discussions are somehow impolite--were not locked out of the discussion.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
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.
Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, of the Western Judicial District of Texas, was notified about the death from the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said he was among those notified about Scalia's death.
"I was told it was this morning," Biery said of Scalia's death. "It happened on a ranch out near Marfa. As far as the details, I think it's pretty vague right now as to how," he said. "My reaction is it's very unfortunate. It's unfortunate with any death, and politically in the presidential cycle we're in, my educated guess is nothing will happen before the next president is elected."
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.
Though much of the mainstream press was quickly lining up on Saturday to offer glowing commemorations of his career as a public servant, many on Twitter wanted to be sure that his destructive judicial legacy was not completely whitewashed. At the same time, others began taking stock of the political implications of the now vacant seat on the nation's highest court:
\u201cWhen political figures die, there's a race to define their memory. That memory can have powerful repercussions. So remember Scalia's victims\u201d— Dave Zirin (@Dave Zirin) 1455403584
\u201cSend condolences to Justice Scalia's family. May he RIP. Yet, at this time must also analyze what this means for our country.\u201d— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@Katrina vandenHeuvel) 1455402540
\u201cScalia was a whackjob who became a bellwether. A very sad story, actually. https://t.co/ZUrAgfsOhk\u201d— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org) 1455403608
\u201cWhat are the chances that President Trump/Cruz is able to push through a nominee worse than Scalia?\u201d— Ali Gharib (@Ali Gharib) 1455402304
\u201cScalia v. The World: On Antonin Scalia via @thenation https://t.co/pCXtluMxwW\u201d— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@Katrina vandenHeuvel) 1455403501
\u201cI have never forgotten this quote \u201cMere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached\u201d.\nAntonin Scalia\u201d— Bianca Jagger Nicaraguense por gracia de Dios \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddee (@Bianca Jagger Nicaraguense por gracia de Dios \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddee) 1455403460
\u201cDeath of Justice Scalia will transform D/R presidential races. It's always said presidential races are about SCOTUS. Now, it really will be.\u201d— John Nichols (@John Nichols) 1455403326
\u201cMany #Scalia moments circulating tonight. A climate-related gem from Clean Air Act/CO2 ('06) https://t.co/OgdwwHhLU5\u201d— Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f (@Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f) 1455403677
\u201cJustice Antonin Scalia, Who Led a Conservative Renaissance on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 79 https://t.co/VL4lrBgKaD\u201d— BillMoyers.com (@BillMoyers.com) 1455403439
\u201cI believe this denial of stay of execution on Wednesday is the last official action of Antonin Scalia on #SCOTUS.\u201d— Chris Johnson (@Chris Johnson) 1455403785
\u201c"How dare you politicize #Scalia's death? It's too soon!"\n2 mins later...\n"We will stop Obama's new appointment at all costs!"\u201d— Christian Christensen (@Christian Christensen) 1455405319
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead on Saturday, reportedly of natural causes, at a high-end resort in Texas.
Citing an "El Paso source close Scalia," local affiliate ABC 7 reported "that the 79-year-old died in his sleep last night after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas."
Subsequently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement confirming Scalia's death.
Scalia--the longest-serving Justice on the current court was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986--was known as one of its most right-wing and regressive voices.
Though much of the mainstream media immediately dove into the praising Scalia's notable accomplishments, a number of his critics took to social media in order to ensure the numerous destructive aspects of his legal legacy--despite the predictable calls that such discussions are somehow impolite--were not locked out of the discussion.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
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.
Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, of the Western Judicial District of Texas, was notified about the death from the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said he was among those notified about Scalia's death.
"I was told it was this morning," Biery said of Scalia's death. "It happened on a ranch out near Marfa. As far as the details, I think it's pretty vague right now as to how," he said. "My reaction is it's very unfortunate. It's unfortunate with any death, and politically in the presidential cycle we're in, my educated guess is nothing will happen before the next president is elected."
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.
Though much of the mainstream press was quickly lining up on Saturday to offer glowing commemorations of his career as a public servant, many on Twitter wanted to be sure that his destructive judicial legacy was not completely whitewashed. At the same time, others began taking stock of the political implications of the now vacant seat on the nation's highest court:
\u201cWhen political figures die, there's a race to define their memory. That memory can have powerful repercussions. So remember Scalia's victims\u201d— Dave Zirin (@Dave Zirin) 1455403584
\u201cSend condolences to Justice Scalia's family. May he RIP. Yet, at this time must also analyze what this means for our country.\u201d— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@Katrina vandenHeuvel) 1455402540
\u201cScalia was a whackjob who became a bellwether. A very sad story, actually. https://t.co/ZUrAgfsOhk\u201d— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org) 1455403608
\u201cWhat are the chances that President Trump/Cruz is able to push through a nominee worse than Scalia?\u201d— Ali Gharib (@Ali Gharib) 1455402304
\u201cScalia v. The World: On Antonin Scalia via @thenation https://t.co/pCXtluMxwW\u201d— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@Katrina vandenHeuvel) 1455403501
\u201cI have never forgotten this quote \u201cMere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached\u201d.\nAntonin Scalia\u201d— Bianca Jagger Nicaraguense por gracia de Dios \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddee (@Bianca Jagger Nicaraguense por gracia de Dios \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddee) 1455403460
\u201cDeath of Justice Scalia will transform D/R presidential races. It's always said presidential races are about SCOTUS. Now, it really will be.\u201d— John Nichols (@John Nichols) 1455403326
\u201cMany #Scalia moments circulating tonight. A climate-related gem from Clean Air Act/CO2 ('06) https://t.co/OgdwwHhLU5\u201d— Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f (@Andrew Revkin \ud83c\udf0e \u270d\ud83c\udffc \ud83e\ude95 \u262e\ufe0f) 1455403677
\u201cJustice Antonin Scalia, Who Led a Conservative Renaissance on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 79 https://t.co/VL4lrBgKaD\u201d— BillMoyers.com (@BillMoyers.com) 1455403439
\u201cI believe this denial of stay of execution on Wednesday is the last official action of Antonin Scalia on #SCOTUS.\u201d— Chris Johnson (@Chris Johnson) 1455403785
\u201c"How dare you politicize #Scalia's death? It's too soon!"\n2 mins later...\n"We will stop Obama's new appointment at all costs!"\u201d— Christian Christensen (@Christian Christensen) 1455405319
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.