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This is the spoiler thread for the book AMERICAN ORIGINAL: THE LIFE AND CONSTITUTION OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTONIO SCALIA by Joan Biskupic

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by Joan Biskupic

Antonin Scalia was the longest-serving justice. A 1986 nominee of President Ronald Reagan, Scalia was still serving until the time of his death. He was a 1960 graduate of Harvard Law School.


"Antonin Gregory Scalia (March 11, 1936 – February 12/13, 2016) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. Appointed to the Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, Scalia was described as the intellectual anchor for the originalist and textualist position in the Court's conservative wing.

Scalia was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He attended public grade school, Xavier High School in Manhattan, and then college at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.. He obtained his law degree from Harvard Law School and spent six years in a Cleveland law firm, before he became a law school professor at the University of Virginia. In the early 1970s, he served in the Nixon and Ford administrations, eventually as an Assistant Attorney General. He spent most of the Carter years teaching at the University of Chicago, where he became one of the first faculty advisers of the fledgling Federalist Society. In 1982, Ronald Reagan appointed him as judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[10] In 1986, Reagan appointed him to the Supreme Court. Scalia was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, becoming the first Italian-American justice.

Scalia served on the Court for nearly thirty years, during which time he espoused a conservative jurisprudence and ideology, advocating textualism in statutory interpretation and originalism in constitutional interpretation. He was a strong defender of the powers of the executive branch, believing presidential power should be paramount in many areas. He opposed affirmative action and other policies that treated minorities as special groups. He filed separate opinions in many cases and often castigated the Court's majority in his minority opinions using scathing language.

Remainder of article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonin...

Source: Wikipedia

Justice Antonin Scalia Funeral Mass

Justice Antonin Scalia’s funeral mass took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

His body was found Saturday, February 13, 2016, when he did not appear at breakfast at a ranch where he was hunting in the Big Bend area of West Texas. He was 79 years old. 

Justice Scalia’s son, Reverend Paul Scalia, delivered the homily. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill were among those attending the service.

http://www.c-span.org/video/?404962-1...

Source: C-Span

Justice Antonin Scalia Lying in Repose

The body of Justice Antonin Scalia arrived at the Supreme Court to lie in repose inside the court’s Great Hall to begin a day of public mourning. The flag-draped casket was carried up the steps by court police who served as pall bearers. 

Dozens of former clerks of the late justice who lined the court plaza served as honorary pall bearers. The current justices stood inside during the procession as the casket was placed on a catafalque used for the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln. 

A brief prayer service was led by the Reverend Paul Scalia, Justice Scalia’s son.

Part One:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?404938-1...

Part Two:
Justice Antonin Scalia Lying in Repose, Part 2 Members of the general public and legal community paid their respects to Justice Antonin Scalia as he lay in repose on the Lincoln Catafalque in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court. The first group of four of Justice Scalia’s former law clerks serving as honorary pall bearers came to stand by the casket.

The people passing the casket during this portion of this day of lying in repose included members of the Supreme Court staff and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA). Former Solicitor General Paul Clement was among the rotation of former law clerks serving as honorary pall bearers who stood by the casket.  Scenes included the portrait of Justice Scalia on display in the Great Hall and outside shots of Court Plaza with people waiting in line and the flag at half staff.

Link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?404938-2...

Part Three:
Justice Antonin Scalia Lying in Repose, Part 3 Members of the general public and legal community paid their respects to Justice Antonin Scalia as he lay in repose on the Lincoln Catafalque in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court.

Scenes included the portrait of Justice Scalia on display in the Great Hall and outside shots of Court Plaza with people waiting in line and the flag at half staff. The people passing the casket during this portion of this day of lying in repose included Appellate Court Judge Frank Easterbrook, Circuit Court Judge Sri Srinivasan, and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT).

Link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?404938-3...

Part Four:
Justice Antonin Scalia Lying in Repose, Part 4 Members of the general public and legal community paid their respects to Justice Antonin Scalia as he lay in repose on the Lincoln Catafalque in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court.

The people passing the casket during this portion of this day of lying in repose included President and Mrs. Obama, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Janet Napolitano, Senator and Mrs. Mike Lee (R-UT), Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, Governor Mike Pence (R-IN), Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, and Governor and Mrs. Scott Walker (R-WI). Scenes included the portrait of Justice Scalia on display in the Great Hall and outside shots of Court Plaza with people waiting in line and flag at half staff.

Link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?404938-4...

Part Five:
Justice Antonin Scalia Lying in Repose, Part 5 Members of the general public and legal community paid their respects to Justice Antonin Scalia as he lay in repose on the Lincoln Catafalque in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough was one of the people who came during this final portion of this day of lying in repose. Scenes included the portrait of Justice Scalia on display in the Great Hall and outside shots of Court Plaza with people waiting in line and the flag at half staff.

Link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?404938-5...

On The Issues:

Scalia:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Antonin_Sc...

Supreme Court of the United States Biography:

Biography of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia



Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice, was born in Trenton, New Jersey, March 11, 1936. He married Maureen McCarthy and has nine children - Ann Forrest, Eugene, John Francis, Catherine Elisabeth, Mary Clare, Paul David, Matthew, Christopher James, and Margaret Jane.

He received his A.B. from Georgetown University and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and his LL.B. from Harvard Law School, and was a Sheldon Fellow of Harvard University from 1960–1961.

He was in private practice in Cleveland, Ohio from 1961–1967, a Professor of Law at the University of Virginia from 1967–1971, and a Professor of Law at the University of Chicago from 1977–1982, and a Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown University and Stanford University. He was chairman of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law, 1981–1982, and its Conference of Section Chairmen, 1982–1983. He served the federal government as General Counsel of the Office of Telecommunications Policy from 1971–1972, Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States from 1972–1974, and Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel from 1974–1977. He was appointed Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1982. President Reagan nominated him as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and he took his seat September 26, 1986. Justice Scalia died on February 13, 2016.


Federal Judicial Center

http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/nGetInfo?j...

Nelson Shanks paints Antonin Scalia

This is the portrait that was on display while the Supreme Court Justice lay in repose. In this youtube video - Scalia is in attendance for the sitting.

Link: https://youtu.be/bj_Hfdzr6us

Synopsis:

In 2007, Studio Incamminati co-founder Nelson Shanks spent several days in his Bucks County studio painting the official Supreme Court portrait of Justice Antonin Scalia. Nelson's wife, Studio Incamminati co-founder Leona Shanks, took the opportunity to capture some moments on video.


President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama look at a portrait of U.S. Supreme Court Justice

This article discusses some elements of the painting that you might miss otherwise:

Scalia’s legacy will resonate

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2...

Interview with Justice Antonin Scalia by Leslie Stahl

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-s...

Antonin Scalia - 60 Minutes Biopic
February 13, 2016, 5:00 PM | A look back at the life of the U.S. Supreme Court's Antonin Scalia, who died today at the age of 79 (Original air date: April 27, 2008)

Justice Scalia On Life Part 1
Justice Scalia On Life Part 2

Salvatore Eugene Scalia and Catherine Panaro Scalia


Salvatore Eugene Scalia and Catherine Panaro Scalia, Chief Justice Antonin Scalia's parents

Salvatore Eugene Scalia was born in Sicily, Italy, on December 1, 1903. Dr. Scalia lived most of his life in New York and New Jersey. He received his bachelor's degree from Rutger's University and his doctor of philosophy at Columbia University. He was an exchange fellow to the University of Florence in Italy and later joined the faculty of Brooklyn College where he taught romance languages, retiring in 1969. He died on January 5, 1986 in Trenton, New Jersey.

Catherine Panaro Scalia was born on November 7, 1905 in New York, New York. Mrs. Scalia was a former elementary school teacher for the Lawrence Township Board of Education. She died on December 24, 1985 in Trenton, New Jersey.
(Source: Find A Grave)

More:
by Bruce Allen Murphy (no photo)
by Evan Tsen Lee (no photo)

C-SPAN: Scalia Confirmation Day 1 and 2
Video

http://www.c-span.org/video/?150300-1...
http://www.c-span.org/video/?150300-2...

http://www.c-span.org/video/?150304-1...

Synopsis:

AUGUST 5, 1986

Scalia Confirmation Hearing Day 1 Justice Scalia responded to questions from committee members about his views regarding such topics as federal-state relationships, the Constitution, death penalty, abortion, national security versus individual rights, original intent, independent agencies versus executive branch agencies, court disciplinary structure, legislative veto, bill history, economic deregulation, affirmative action, committee reports, and executive privilege.

AUGUST 6, 1986

The confirmation hearing continues on day two for five more hours.

I just started the book, so I don't have much to say yet. But it may be of interest to everyone to hear the new podcast, More Perfect, which is about the Supreme Court. The following episode is about how the Court came to make political decisions: http://www.wnyc.org/story/the-politic...

It's a must-hear for every American.

Kressel wrote: "I just started the book, so I don't have much to say yet. But it may be of interest to everyone to hear the new podcast, More Perfect, which is about the Supreme Court. The following episode is abo..."

Thanks for the link Kressel. I'll take some time later to watch it. Look forward to your comments on the book as you work through it.

It's for listening, not watching. It's a podcast.

One thing I'll say about the book is that I can relate to Scalia for being religious and stating that the world around him was antithetical to that. But I don't necessarily think his religiosity should have colored his rulings.

Got it! :-)

Kressel wrote: "One thing I'll say about the book is that I can relate to Scalia for being religious and stating that the world around him was antithetical to that. But I don't necessarily think his religiosity sh..."

Keep that in mind while you are reading. I am undecided if he let his opinions and religious stance affect any of his rulings.

It says so pretty early on in the book.

Stephen Colbert's tribute to Justice Scalia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeJHr...