Scalia has died.

[never_retreat]

Died of natural causes? I'm suspicious. 

[Firethorn]

Best we can hope for is that the tendency for the court to not reverse itself too often continues.   

[Hawkmoon]

Here's the thing.  To revers any of the 2A decisions, you need another case that would bring the issue before the SCOTUS.  I don't know of anything currently pending before an appeals court.  So, it could be years before the issue hits SCOTUS again.  Not that this helps us in the long run.

Connecticut just filed for certiorari on the challenge to its AWB. I just received an e-mail about it yesterday. Lemme see if it's still in my inbox ...

(Groton, CT) - The Connecticut Citizens Defense League along with fellow plaintiffs have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States (Shew v. Malloy). The appeal challenges part of Public Act 13-3 (An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety) that was enacted by the Connecticut Legislature back in 2013.

The plaintiffs are challenging the ban on certain firearms that look similar to assault rifles. The plaintiffs claim that these are common semi-automatic firearms that only shoot once when the trigger is pulled; identical to others not banned. Real "assault rifles" are full-automatic and can fire multiple times when the trigger is pulled. Real assault rifles are already highly regulated by both federal and state government, and civilian ownership is quite rare.

The plaintiff's challenge has been narrowed to focus strictly on the banned firearms and not magazines that contain 10 rounds or more as originally argued. The legal strategy behind this tactic is to offer the Supreme Court consideration to solely address this single issue with the hope that they will hear the case. ...

http://ccdl.us/blog/2016/02/11/press-release-scotus-filed/

[Ron]

R.I.P

He was one of the few fine threads much of our liberty was hanging on by. 

Don't worry, President Trump will probably get to nominate the replacement justice.

Maybe he will nominate his sister who he has said is such a great judge.

[Andiron]

Cemeteries are filled with indispensable people.

Sigh.

It's been on for a while,  this just adds to the tab.

[RocketMan]

R.I.P. Justice Scalia.  Your efforts to preserve and defend The Constitution were greatly appreciated.  You will be missed, good sir.

McConnell has already made noises to the effect that he will try to block Obama's nominations for the rest of his term.  I suspect he's just preparing his backside for his eventual rolling over.

[T.O.M.]

Connecticut just filed for certiorari on the challenge to its AWB. I just received an e-mail about it yesterday. Lemme see if it's still in my inbox ...

http://ccdl.us/blog/2016/02/11/press-release-scotus-filed/

Well, crap.  If they grant certiorari, it could be submitted to the court next year.  This sounds like the reasonable restrictions case I've been fearing.  Don't want to imagine where they might draw that line...

[roo_ster]

Cemeteries are filled with indispensable people.

Sigh.

And our republic totters.

[Ben]

The other bad thing, if Obama (or a 2017 Dem) gets to choose replacements for both Scalia and Ginsburg, is that Sotomayer and Kagan are relatively young. So them, plus two new young liberals, plus Roberts who is young and wishy-washy, and the court  could be skewed left/sellout for a very long time.

Even if a Republican is elected, the way things stand, any nominations that actually make it through will likely be milquetoast conservatives at best. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another Scalia on the court, let alone a majority of like-thinkers who embrace what the Constitution is and stands for.

Debbie Downer I know, but that's my current take on the reality.

[lee n. field]

Died of natural causes? I'm suspicious. 

First thing I thought.  Check for a poison.

[brimic]

The other bad thing, if Obama (or a 2017 Dem) gets to choose replacements for both Scalia and Ginsburg, is that Sotomayer and Kagan are relatively young. So them, plus two new young liberals, plus Roberts who is young and wishy-washy, and the court  could be skewed left/sellout for a very long time.

Even if a Republican is elected, the way things stand, any nominations that actually make it through will likely be milquetoast conservatives at best. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another Scalia on the court, let alone a majority of like-thinkers who embrace what the Constitution is and stands for.

Debbie Downer I know, but that's my current take on the reality.

John Bolton would be my first pick.

[Hawkmoon]

Well, crap.  If they grant certiorari, it could be submitted to the court next year.  This sounds like the reasonable restrictions case I've been fearing.  Don't want to imagine where they might draw that line...

Considering that Maryland's AWB was just booted back downstairs on appeal, while New York and Connecticut got bupkis from their appeals, I guess we now have a circuit split ... so the case is ripe for the Supremes to hear it.

[brimic]

Regardless of how scotus rules on guns, some poor schmuck would still have to confiscate them.

[230RN]

R.I.P. Justice Scalia.  Your efforts to preserve and defend The Constitution were greatly appreciated.  You will be missed, good sir...

Agree 100%.

...McConnell has already made noises to the effect that he will try to block Obama's nominations for the rest of his term.  I suspect he's just preparing his backside for his eventual rolling over.

Sounds about right to me.

I see no silver lining.  We've discussed this kind of possibility for years.  Almost eight of them.

Rest in peace, Justice Scalia.  I thank you for your efforts to maintain the Constitution in good order.

Terry

[RoadKingLarry]

 Anyone know anything about this guy?

http://komonews.com/news/nation-world/sri-srinivasan-who-is-he-scalias-possible-replacement

[BryanP]

Died of natural causes? I'm suspicious.  

He was 79 years old. People wear out.

[Monkeyleg]

Saw a post on Facebook from some lib hoping that now Thomas would die. Gotta love their class.

[Perd Hapley]

The NRA just published an article about our superannuated justices. (Or "justices.")

http://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2016/1/27/hellers-vultures/

According to the article, Ginsberg is 83, Kennedy is 79, and Breyer is 76. So there may be some (slim) hope that a Republican president might repair the damage done by whomever the O selects. Though I could also imagine all three of those stepping down, if a Republican is elected, allowing a lame duck Obama to nominate their replacements. The Left doesn't play around anymore.

[Ben]

Saw a post on Facebook from some lib a metric buttload of libs hoping that now Thomas would die. Gotta love their class.

FTFY

I don't think I've seen this much liberal hate (hey, hate speech!) since Bush was in office. Lots of grave dancing.

[Ned Hamford]

I don't think I've seen this much liberal hate (hey, hate speech!) since Bush was in office. Lots of grave dancing.

I don't prune my 'friend' list for political beliefs, but the lack of class displayed in this... my stomach is turned.  Such willful stupidity and hate.  And still seeing folks that worship at the shrine of Obama.  Granted, I'm in NY, but I am seeing posts from classmates of mine from law school, actual practicing lawyers, saying Obama (not the president, a president, the office, Obama) has the constitutional right to appoint whoever he wants and it is treasonous to oppose it.  They will even post the clause below it. I want to repost with the 'advice and consent of the senate' part in bold and point out how Scalia's nomination had no opposition, and as someone of Italian Heritage for that day in age, that was something.  All those slopes he warned about in his dissent, we have been sliding down.  He had the humility to stand back and say when it wasn't the job of the court to 'Fix' the government. 
Garbage in, Garbage Out, get educated, involved, vote in a better government. 

I do believe as a nation we are diminished for this loss. 

[Ben]

I was refreshing my memory on Dem and liberal reactions to various Republican SC nominations. Bork stood out, especially regarding the "Biden Report" (yes, same Biden). Hopefully when the libs start yelling "right wing obstruction" some of this will come back into the light. Glass houses and all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bork_Supreme_Court_nomination

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

Interesting. Pronounced dead, without seeing body. No autopsy. Hmm

[MillCreek]

I don't know how they do it in Texas, but here in Washington, death certificates list a cause of death and are signed without an autopsy, based upon information found at the scene and information from the person's physician.  I think at least part of the reason for this is that the typical county medical examiner or coroner is overworked and underfunded, and they tend to do the autopsies for the criminal cases only.

[Scout26]

I went down and paid my respects to his daughter and her family (They have a daughter the same age as mine, and Robert has a couple of classes with his grandson).  Arrangements are still being made.  There are no signs anything necessitating an autopsy.  He was 79 and it looks like a heart attack.

So please turn off the conspiracy theories.  A family has lost a father, husband, and grandfather and are in mourning, just like any other. Prayers and/or good thoughts would be appreciated.

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

http://m.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Texas-ranch-owner-recalls-Scalia-s-last-hours-6830372.php

This just gets weirder. Found dead with a pillow over his head. WTF