Scalia's death changes Supreme Court balance and the presidential campaign

Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court's most fiery conservative voice, has died while on a hunting trip in Texas, immediately changing the balance of nation's highest court and thrusting its future directly into the center of the presidential campaign.

Scalia's death at age 79 was reported by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and confirmed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

The Supreme Court had been closely divided between four appointees of Democratic presidents, all fairly liberal, and five Republican appointees, all relatively conservative. Scalia's death will leave the justices evenly split, with the partisan balance to be determined by the next nominee.

Although President Obama could make a nomination, the Republican-controlled Senate is highly likely to defer action until after the November election in hopes that a Republican president would appoint another conservative. Democrats have not had a majority on the high court since Richard Nixon was president.

That prospect will almost certainly make the court's future a central issue in the presidential election this fall, with issues such as abortion rights, immigration and affirmative action all hanging in the balance.

More: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-scalia-death-impact-20160213-story.html

Scalia's death changes Supreme Court balance and the presidential campaign

Scalia's death changes Supreme Court balance and the presidential campaign

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