WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 14, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The death certificate for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will list myocardial infarction — a heart attack — as the official cause of death, a Texas county judge told a Dallas TV station on Sunday.
The 79-year-old high court judge passed away in his sleep while on a quail hunting vacation at a luxury resort in Texas.
The U.S. Marshals Service released a statement on Saturday confirming Scalia died of apparent natural causes at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas. But the actual cause was not reported until Sunday afternoon.
The justice’s body was found Saturday morning after he failed appear for breakfast with his fellow hunters.
Scalia, the longest serving justice on the Supreme Court, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and one of its most conservative members.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott released the following statement Saturday afternoon:
“Justice Antonin Scalia was 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. 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. Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Scalia’s death leaves a vacancy on the nine-person Supreme Court and within hours of his death, speculation swelled about whether Congress would try to prevent President Obama to select his replacement. Obama would have a little more than 10 months to spearhead the nomination and acceptance of a new justice before he leaves the White House.
