Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of apparent natural causes Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas, the San Antonio-Express News reported.
Scalia, 79, was a guest at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a resort in the Big Bend region south of Marfa, the paper reported.
According to a report, Scalia, an associate justice, 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, the paper reported.
A federal official who asked not to be named told the paper there was no evidence of foul play and it appeared that Scalia died of natural causes.
Terrible, shocking news. Our prayers go out to his family.
My prayers also go to our country, because of the implications for the balance on the Supreme Court.
More news as it is released.
Stella's Place 
Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement confirming Scalia’s death and calling him 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,” the statement said. “His fierce loyalty to the Constitution set an unmatched example, not just for judges and lawyers, but for all Americans. We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the Supreme Court will take his place as a champion for the written Constitution and the Rule of Law.”
LikeLiked by 8 people
Very sad. A great loss.
LikeLiked by 4 people
EL PASO –
UPDATED: 3:20 P.M
Diocese of El Paso’s Spokeswoman Liz O’Hara tells Abc-7 Catholic Priest Mike Alcuino out of Presidio was called to the ranch and administered Justice Scalia’s last rights just moments ago.
ORIGINAL STORY:
EL PASO — An El Paso source close to Justice Antonin Scalia tells ABC-7 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.
http://m.kvia.com/news/breaking-surpreme-court-justice-scalia-dies-during-hunting-trip-in-marfa/37981652
LikeLiked by 3 people
Heartbreaking.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Good news?
LikeLiked by 5 people
We can only hope so.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 7 people
We’ve been gone all day and when we came home and I saw this on Bing I told my DH, “we’re screwed!”
LikeLiked by 4 people
I’m just sitting here extrapolating results for the odds on “natural.”
With the EPA as a factor, of course…..
LikeLiked by 9 people
You are not alone. 😠😱
LikeLiked by 7 people
“I question the timing” sorta puts it in a nutshell, with things “coming up.”
LikeLiked by 6 people
I don’t know how you keep your desk so clean. My Jack bottles get in the way sometimes.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Why, thank you Menage – you’re so sweet! But remember, Coors Light cans sorta fade into the background.
LikeLiked by 5 people
(That was before she sat down. Here’s the after picture.)
LikeLiked by 8 people
Hey, that punkin belongs to Tex. They threw a party without us? I iz verklempt.
LikeLiked by 6 people
I haz been hacked!…..I don’t eat junk food nor drink likker, so them red cups ain’t mine. That IS, however, my hoodie….
LikeLiked by 3 people
He was found with a pillow over his head.
Although, my hubby sleeps with a pillow over his head and no I don’t put it there and when he says he wakes up with my hands on the pillow, he’s a lyin’. lol
LikeLiked by 2 people
McConnell: No vote on Scalia replacement under Obama
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mcconnell-no-new-justice-this-year/article/2583231
LikeLiked by 4 people
Hah. I trust that dipshite as far as I can throw him. And if true, now the Supremes have an excuse to NOT do their jobs on upcoming rulings.
LikeLiked by 8 people
A sad loss. I’m joining the Tin Foil Club also. As for “The Turtle’s” remarks, he’s a liar, a POS. “Turtle” probably holding out for a larger cut on the Deal.
LikeLiked by 6 people
What is disgusting – all of the liberals publicly dancing on his grave. Don’t look at Twitter, if that kind of behavior makes you angry.
LikeLiked by 6 people
I don’t want to go on the social media platforms specifically because of that.
LikeLiked by 4 people
I saw just bits on twitter, then stopped looking.
VERY nasty comments.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I saw a lot of that. I also saw Trump supporters saying Cruz had a hand in his death.
LikeLike
If they said that, then they were wrong to do so.
LikeLike
All of them on both sides of this saying things like that are wrong. IDK what people think before they type sometimes.
LikeLike
I don’t know either.
LikeLike
Prepare for the cave in. The Senate will cave in a slow motion disaster. A wonderful globalist, social justice, activist is on deck. Some Indian guy. My bet is they will reach across the aisle one last time to prevent Trump from a nomination. I would bet the ranch they cave in.
LikeLike
GOP worries Obama could install Scalia successor through recess appointment
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2583236
Can’t the Senate avoid this by not recessing? Didn’t Harry Reid do that once?
ADD: Unfortunately, they are now in recess for another nine days. Gives Obama plenty of time.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Fortunately, recess appointments are not permanent:
To remain in effect, a recess appointment must be approved by the Senate by the end of the next session of Congress, or the position becomes vacant again; in current practice this means that a recess appointment must be approved by roughly the end of the next calendar year.
LikeLiked by 3 people
The Senate can just remain in session. The Court itself can delay decisions. The only way Obama gets to appoint a justice is with the collaboration and collusion of the Senate GOP. That would not surprise me a bit after this.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The Senate is not in session right now, Howie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Then Obama can appoint today. But they should come back in and remain in session until inauguration.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s our “prez”, talking about Scalia (no tie), and spends most of the time saying he will appoint a replacement, and he expects the Senate to do their duty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XckfQq3CUjY#t=2162
LikeLiked by 1 person
So do I. Block Obama.
LikeLiked by 1 person
According to the press pool that follows him, he didn’t even pause in his golf outing yesterday.
LikeLiked by 5 people
I don’t need the press pool to tell me that. It was a given.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Dems in Senate passed a resolution in1960 against election year Supreme Court appointments:
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/02/dems_in_senate_passed_a_resolution_in1960_against_election_year_supreme_court_appointments.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course – but a resolution isn’t binding, and they wouldn’t agree today.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Chaos, confusion and no autopsy. Congress needs to get back from recess and investigate his death STAT.
Key figure montage supreme court and crickets.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html
LikeLiked by 3 people
^^montage?? Should have been “on the”
Grrrrrrrrr spell check 😦
LikeLiked by 2 people
You won’t get an argument here. I imagine his wife had the say as to whether or not there was an autopsy. Death at his age isn’t unusual.
LikeLiked by 4 people
what is more concerning to me is that with all the pro obama cases on the docket, one of the most conservative sitting supreme court justices was found dead in his room, 1 day after the senate went into recess, in a remote location and his death declared as natural causes by someone that didn’t know him well and no autopsy was ordered.
Considering who he was and the power he can wield (or not) i cant believe an autopsy is not mandatory for someone in that position.
LikeLiked by 2 people
http://www.wnd.com/2016/02/urgent-calls-begin-for-scalia-autopsy/
LikeLiked by 1 person
John Poindexter was Reagans National Security advisor. He is the one who found him with a pillow over his head. He is the owner of the ranch.
LikeLiked by 3 people
http://time.com/4224312/antonin-scalia-dead-cibolo-creek-ranch/
LikeLiked by 1 person
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/official-scalia-died-of-heart-attack/ar-BBpuGrq?li=BBnb7Kz?ocid=ansmsnnews11
Guevara said she wanted to clarify details of Scalia’s death before deciding whether to order an autopsy.
“As part of my investigation, one of the things I did ask the sheriff and the U.S. Marshal: ‘Were there any signs of foul play?’ And they said, ‘Absolutely not.’ At that time I still wanted to be careful, and asked them if (Scalia’s) physician would call me.”
The justice’s personal doctor called her at 8 p.m. Saturday night. She said the physician told her that Scalia had a shoulder problem last week and underwent an MRI. Scalia also suffered several chronic ailments, Guevara said.
“I felt comfortable what I knew was going on with him physically,” she said.
On Saturday night, at his family’s request, Justice Scalia’s remains were moved from the ranch to El Paso, where a funeral home will embalm his body and prepare it to be flown to back to the East Coast.
LikeLiked by 1 person
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-scalia-ranch-20160214-story.html
When Texas millionaire John Poindexter invited Justice Antonin Scalia to his remote ranch near the Mexican border, it was for a private party with about 35 other guests, a weekend of hunting and sightseeing on his painstakingly restored and cultivated 30,000-acre spread.
But when Scalia, 79, failed to appear for a morning excursion at 8 a.m. Saturday, Poindexter became concerned and went to his room, which has its own outdoor fire pit and a wall of windows overlooking the 22-room adobe ranch hotel, a lake and surrounding peaks of the Chinati Mountains.
“I had not seen him, and everyone else was up. I knocked loudly,” Poindexter said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. But Scalia was in a large room, the “El Presidente” suite, and the owner figured that perhaps the justice couldn’t hear him.
Poindexter had just met Scalia, and although he found him “congenial” and they got on well at dinner the night before, his first thought was: “He’s a Supreme Court justice, and if he doesn’t want to be bothered.”
Eventually, Poindexter entered the silent room, apprehensive.
“I was worried I was going to find something very tragic,” he said.
He spotted Scalia, still in his pajamas.
“He was in perfect repose in his bed as if he was taking a nap. His face wasn’t contorted or anything,” Poindexter said. “I went over and felt his hand and it was very cold, no pulse. You could see he was not alive.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eventually, Poindexter entered the silent room, apprehensive.
“I was worried I was going to find something very tragic,” he said.
He spotted Scalia, still in his pajamas.
“He was in perfect repose in his bed as if he was taking a nap. His face wasn’t contorted or anything,” Poindexter said. “I went over and felt his hand and it was very cold, no pulse. You could see he was not alive.”
Pillow not mentioned.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why would they not do an autopsy? So he is 79, he was found dead in a ranch room, he was as hated as he was beloved and important cases were coming before the SCOTUS. What does an autopsy hurt?
It seems to me that the Powers that Be are far too ready to wash their hands and look away.
SCALIA’S BODY BEING FLOWN BACK; HE DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCALIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-02-14-23-27-03
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know. You have a lot of company.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Autopsy on a Supreme Court Justice dying under questionable circumstances and away from his home should be mandatory just as it should be on any other political figure of prominence.
Ask yourself the question…who benefits…if the answer is immediate than without a doubt common sense is to mandate an autopsy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m looking for specific Texas Law on when an autopsy is required. So far I can’t find anything that is of use but my opinion is that given Scalia’s death was sudden and unexpected he would qualify for an automatic autopsy.
http://usaforensics.com/faqs/
When does a medical examiner order an autopsy?
The Coroner, Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace has authority over cases of sudden, unexpected, violent or traumatic death. The Medical Examiner may also take jurisdiction of cases involving a natural death under certain circumstances. If the deceased has a significant, well-documented medical history, the Medical Examiner will usually release the case and not perform an autopsy. The guidelines may vary by jurisdiction.
The father of someone I know just passed away about a month ago. He fell asleep and never woke up. He was sleeping next to his wife. No foul play was suspected yet an autopsy was still performed.
When my husband passed even though there was no doubt as to why he died an autopsy was performed.
Something stinks about this whole situation with Justice Scalia’s death. There is no good reason for an autopsy not to be ordered.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it depends upon the state. I know that in my state, unless there is real indication of foul play, or the person is young and there is no apparent cause, an autopsy won’t be ordered, unless the family requests it.
ADD: Scalia’s family is reported to have requested that an autopsy NOT be performed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder if requesting that an autopsy not be done has to due to their deep Catholic faith?
I have read a few views on autopsy requirements in Texas but not only does it vary from state to state it varies from county to county from what I can tell.
That said if the family does not want an autopsy, then there will not be an autopsy, there is no way anyone in government wants to push this issue.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That could be true.
While I believe that it would have been better to perform an autopsy, I also believe that
the judgeJustice Scalia most likely died of natural causes. The judge who signed off on his death as natural did not do so until after speaking with his personal physician, and after being told by Federal Marshals that there were no suspicion of foul play. I don’t know if we will hear more specifically about any health conditions that Justice Scalia had, apparently his doctor told the judge that there were health concerns, and Scalia had seen his doctor just two days before.I also think that there would still be talk of foul play even if an autopsy had been performed, and his death was said to be from natural causes. That’s what happened in the case of Andrew Breitbart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Has to do* Good gravy 😦
LikeLike
Whomever Obama puts forth must be Borked.
LikeLike
Whomever Obama puts forth must be ignored. The Senate does not have to consider his Supreme Court appointees now, or ever. By law.
LikeLike
But they will, and IMO they will do the dance and approve his guy. I will be amazed if they do not cave in.
LikeLike
I’m not going to speculate. I’ll simply point out what is legal, and what is required (or not).
LikeLike