After presiding over the Supreme Court for nearly 19 years, Chief Justice William Rehnquist has died today at the age 80.
According to Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg, he was surrounded by his three children when he died in Arlington. "The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his dues on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," she said.
Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1971 by President Nixon and took his seat on Jan. 7, 1982. He was elevated to chief justice by President Reagan in 1986. According to the Chicago Tribune, the only chief justice older than Rehnquist was Roger Taney, who presided over the high court in the mid-1800s until his death at 87. Rehnquist was also closing in on the record for longest-serving justice. Only four men were on the court 34 years or longer.
Many who uphold the sanctity of human life remember him as one of the justices that voted against the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that ushered in an age of abortion. Rehnquist was the only justice remaining on the court who participated in the decision.
The pro-life response can be found at the Supreme Court Blog Aggregator.
Updates:
WorldNetDaily notes Rehnquist's passing comes just as Congress is about to commence Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge John Roberts, President Bush's choice to replace retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
The two simultaneous vacancies offer Bush an unprecedented opportunity to influence the composition of the nation's highest court. But it's unlikely the president will nominate a replacement for Rehnquist before the outcome of the Roberts confirmation is known, commented Fox News' Judge Andrew Napolitano.Foxnews reports:
Rehnquist leaves without accomplishing the legal revolution he had hoped for as the nation's 16th chief justice. As Rehnquist read it, the Constitution lets states outlaw abortion and sponsor prayers in public schools but bars them from giving special, affirmative-action preferences to racial minorities and women. The court he led disagreed.
HT: Naaman
