Trump: Scalia's death a 'massive setback' for conservative movement

February 13, 2016, 05:44 pm

Trump: Scalia's death a 'massive setback' for conservative movement

By Kyle Balluck

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump late Saturday called the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia a "massive setback" for the conservative movement and the country.

Trump tweeted the remarks after reports that Scalia died during a hunting vacation in Texas.

"I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the Scalia family after the passing of Justice Scalia," Trump said in a later statement. "Justice Scalia was a remarkable person and a brilliant Supreme Court Justice, one of the best of all time."

Trump said Scalia's career "was defined by his reverence for the Constitution and his legacy of protecting Americans’ most cherished freedoms."

"He was a Justice who did not believe in legislating from the bench and he is a person whom I held in the highest regard and will always greatly respect his intelligence and conviction to uphold the Constitution of our country. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time," Trump added.

The 79-year-old conservative jurist's death will spark a firefight over his replacement in the midst of the presidential election cycle.

Trump and the other Republican candidates will appear in a debate Saturday evening in South Carolina ahead of the next GOP presidential primary.

--This report was updated at 5:51 p.m.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/...r-conservative

Careful Trump. Any statement you make will be used against you by progressives in the circus court of malignant, media intoxicated, and highly politicized public opinion.

I thought his statement was quite eloquent, but I totally agree with you that the less said, the better.

I find the timing of Judge Scalia's death highly suspicious. The most conservative judge on the Supreme Court just happens to die right before the most important court cases in America are up for decisions before Obama's departure? They better dig deep on his autopsy and find out who was serving food and beverages at that private party he attended just before his departure. Scalia was a vote we could count on to find Obama's immigration orders unconstitutional and now he is dead a few weeks before that case was to be decided.

I smell dirty stinking rats all over this case.

Scalia died less than 24 hours ago and there has been no time for the autopsy and toxicology reports required anytime an active member of the 3 Branches of US Government dies! There has not been enough time for them to determine "natural causes". They are slapping natural causes under the headline of every newspaper in America right now. The truth is there is a large group of very powerful people that all wanted to see Scalia out of the picture one way or another.

And now the socialists are in control of the US Supreme Court for the first time in our nation's history. There are lots of very big things they want to do and now they have the votes 5 to 3 on immigration, Obamacare, Gun Rights, partisan redistricting cases, trade agreements, ...everything they've ever dreamed of to radically change America forever. And the very GOP lawmakers that have conspired with Obama, facilitated Obama, and protected OBama will attempt to win reelection by decrying the Supreme Court continuing to vote on major cases without Scalia's seat filled! Remember this warning and remember me when you see the first 5-3 out of the New Socialist Supreme Court!

Someone please tell me I'm wrong on part or all of this please!

Scalia to have autopsy in Texas, according to state law

Jason Whitely, WFAA 8:06 PM. CST February 13, 2016

http://content.wfaa.com/photo/2016/0...973_ver1.0.jpg(Photo: Alex Wong, Custom)

DALLAS – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who was found dead on a ranch outside Marfa on Saturday, is supposed to undergo an autopsy in Texas, according to state law.

Cibolo Creek Ranch in Presidio County, where Scalia was staying during a hunting trip, does not have a medical examiner, so the responsibility of a death inquest falls to the local justice of the peace.

When a person dies who is not in the care of a physician then an autopsy will be performed, according to Chapter 49 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.

A coroner can waive an autopsy if no foul play is suspected and the cause of death is believed to be natural.

Scalia did not show up for breakfast on Saturday morning, sources said. His death is believed to be of natural causes, according to reports.

A funeral home in neighboring Alpine was called to come collect the justice’s remains.

Since Scalia is protected by federal police, they might argue that they are in charge of his body and will return it to Washington.
http://content.wfaa.com/photo/2016/0....0_320_240.jpg
A similar situation famously played out in the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in November 1963 after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Local officials tried to retain Kennedy’s body for an autopsy but U.S. Secret Service agents took the president’s remains back to D.C.

Presidio County has no facilities to perform an autopsy. Medical examiners in Odessa, Lubbock or El Paso rotate the responsibility when autopsies are required.

The FBI, U.S. Marshals, Texas Rangers, DPS Troopers and Presidio County Sheriff’s Office remained on the scene Saturday evening.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/texas...e-law/42898331

2/15/16

Supreme Court tie vote would mean Obama loses immigration case