Last Saturday, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead in Shafter, Texas.
He died of natural causes.
Scalia was the longest serving member on the current court, having started his time on the bench in September 1986.
He was approved by the Senate by a vote of 98-0.
Scalia was known as one of the two most conservative members of the court, alongside Justice Clarence Thomas.
As a justice, he was a true champion of originalist interpretation of the Constitution, or the ideology that the meaning of the Constitution is fixed to its time of ratification in 1788.
Scalia helped bring the originalist interpretation of the Constitution into mainstream discussion.
This was just one of his numerous feats.
A polarizing figure, Scalia left a legacy of strong conservative leadership on the court.
He wrote the majority opinions in major cases, such as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which affirmed the constitutionality of individual citizen’s right to bear arms.
This is but one example of the legal precedence Scalia created. Scalia also wrote more concurring opinions than any other Justice in U.S. Supreme Court history.
He wrote the third most dissenting opinions in court history. In his written opinions, his language was often considered offensive.
Many knew he had a knack for making people laugh in the courtroom.
But he also had a well-documented friendship with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
They loved to frequent the opera and dine together, despite their contradicting opinions.
I acknowledge Scalia as a true American hero.
He leaves behind a positive legacy of defending our Constitution.
Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with his opinions, one thing is certain: 30 years of Supreme Court service is no small feat.
Scalia once said, “If you’re going to be a good and faithful judge, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you’re not always going to like the conclusions you reach. If you like them all the time, you’re probably doing something wrong.”
This quote properly illustrates Scalia’s demeanor.
As a defender of the Constitution, Scalia understood that unpopular decisions were necessary at times.
Scalia certainly had the courage to make those decisions.
Tributes to Scalia have come from both sides of the aisle. Among the tributes were President Obama, former President George W. Bush, Ginsburg and many other political leaders.
The tremendous outpouring of respect for Scalia, including the honorable respect from those people who disagreed with him, exemplifies the notion that the nation has lost one of its prominent legal minds.
I would like to offer my condolences as well.
Scalia had been a stalwart on the court. The court without Scalia will feel foreign to my generation.
He was one of the figures that helped garner my interest in the Supreme Court and the US legal system in general.
Rest in peace, Scalia.
You will not be forgotten.
staranyi@indiana.edu
