justice scalia: that is my point. maybe you ought to name courts on the basis of the last president who made nominations to the court. bushis court would be the two court. alito and roberts, the court would have been the clinton court and so forth. that would make a lot more sense. what changes the court, i sure you, is much less the character than theief justice nature of the people appointed. why blame rehnquist for the rehnquist court or roberts for this court? charlie: what is the power of the chief justice? justice scalia: he has the same boat that i do. there is really nothing he can do to make me change my vote if i want to be stubborn. it is like being the dean of a law school. there is nothing you can do with these unmanageable creatures. now, if he is very persuasive, as roberts is, you want to go along with it chief justice -- the chief justice. we are an institution and you want to make the institution work. charlie: is that what you love in the end, the opportunity to go at it and find out where it , wher

think the legal version of reagan is scalia. we still have the debates in the terms scalia did. but this next election and this next replacement for this seat could replace the direction. >> former law clerk on the supreme court and a former uc berkeley professor, thank you. >>> he has been called the most influential legal mind of the last quarter century. justice antonin scalia dead at 79. more reaction from colleagues and friends coming up. >> he was the most humble and gracious and non-pretentious person i've ever been around. soup and sandwich and clean and real, and feeling good, sort of. and 500 calories or less. the clean pairings menu. at panera. food as it should be. i am totally blind. i lost my sight in afghanistan. if you're totally blind, you may also be struggling with non-24. calling 844-844-2424. or visit my24info.com. it's gotten squarer. over the years. brighter. bigger. it's gotten thinner. even curvier. but what's next? for all binge watchers. movie geeks. sports freaks. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. >>> for almost 30 years, justice

supreme court justice antonin scalia. in an an hour from now, family and friends will celebrate his life and work here in washington, dc. the funeral service begins 11:00 a.m. eastern, followed by a private burial. the 79-year-old was a leading conservative voice on the supreme court for nearly 30 years. he died suddenly a week ago today, in his sleep at a texas hunting resort. known for his sharp mind and brash demeanor, scalia leaves the supreme court transformed by his intellect, his ideology and his sheer presence. his family life just as extraordinary as his presence on the high court, scalia leaves behind his wife of 55 years, maureen, their nine children, and their 36 grandchildren. one of his sons is a catholic priest, father paul scalia. he will be leading the mass, delivering the homily later this morning. we will also hear a scripture reading from close friend fellow justice clarence thomas who shared his belief that the constitution should be interpreted as those who drafted it. vice president joe biden will b

stice antonin gregory scalia mr. mccarthy: his passion, his intelligence and indeed his courageous defense of the constitution was unmatched. law should be how practiced. separation -- our country has not only lost a great man because profound man a principled man, and a good man. i yield back and move the previous question. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that the committee on house administration be discharged from further consideration of house concurrent resolution 113 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 13. concurrent resolution authorizing the use of emancipation hall and the capitol visitor's centers to present the congressional gold medal to the regiment. the speaker pro tempore: is t

justice scalia: i was surprised. i would've thought the purpose for which i used the president statement and did not criticize the president statement. i said it might be right. the only point i made from it was that the attorney general had argued before us that there was no reason the government enforcing immigration laws. sibley enforcement priorities. he didn't have enough money. to decide who goes first and whatnot. was that evende if that was true. in my view a sovereign state or thee able to supplement adequate enforcement with its own funds to the want to. and then i had to moreover it has since come to light that the problem is not just inadequacy of enforcement funds. unwillingness pressure good reasons of the government to enforce the law. for that purpose i cited the president statement. which seem to be perfectly fair. i did not see the president statement was wrong. i just say with the attorney general had told us. concerning enforcement priorities. since he is the public record shows. problem.ole read

justice scalia: -- here and there? justice scalia: you know, i am the bete noir. charlie: why do you think that is? you are a pretty nice fella. you have friends across all aisles. you and ruth bader ginsburg are great friends. you are the guy they look and say, he wants to stand in the way, thrwart the forward march of history and justice? that is the way they see you? justice scalia: i think it is simply because of the consistency. charlie: do you take some pride in that? i bet you do. justice scalia: a man who has made no enemies is probably not a good man. charlie: you said to people about bush versus gore, get over it. it decided a presidential election. justice scalia: someone was going to decide it. charlie: you blamed gore because he brought the case. justice scalia: he wanted judges to decide it. so judges decided it. charlie: you have no regrets about that? justice scalia: about that case? it was an easy case. charlie: you stopped the florida court. justice scalia: yes, but on a principal question of whether the florida courts violated the constitution.

justice scalia had been texas. when he didn't come down to room was checked and his body was discovered. tonight, chief justice john roberts called scalia, "an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and trshed by his colleagues." let's bring in our chief legal correspondent jan crawford. jan, no exanlerations to say the ground is shaking in washington. >> reporter: oh, no exaggeration in washington and throughout the country. this is a complete shock. i spoke with people who had lunch with justice scalia just a few days ago when he was up in new york, and they had he was absolutely fine. he was joking. he was jovial. no indication at all that anything was wrong. so this comes as a complete shock. obviously, he's 79 years old, was going to be turning 80. but, you know, he was so full of life. i mean, even on the bench, in his writings. he was just someone that seized life, and you could see it. so this, again, coming as a complete shock. and,sh, the landscape here in washington, the supreme court now in the ba

scalia didn't do that. he stood right where he believed the argument was and as a result maybe not as influential as the centerist of the court tilting to the right or left. >> you can see the battle developing on the vacancy. we heard that president obama will move forward with a nomination and senator harry reid saying it is a crucial thing for the senate to move forward. and hearing mitch mcconnell that that will not happen. if he has control over it and it should be the next president to make the appointment. this could be a huge battle in washington, even as the issue plays out on the presidential campaign trail. >> think about it, brett. this is a president who basically decided to give up on congress and start issuing excutive action that have been struck down by the supreme court. and his appointments were struck down and you don't get to decide when it is in recess. he will clearly nominate somebody be and he said i am the president and why can't i nominate someone and he will push it hard and it w

we think of justice scalia's conservative fire brand. you say some of his writin and liberals kind of out there watching thinking, oh, my gosh, he must be kind of off the wall but he had very close gins considering and justice kagan. with everybody on the court, he was beloved as a presence. when you think of his presence on the court, not only was he a conservative vote but but hoe provided the key fifth vote. this supreme court is closely divided, five conservative and four liberal justices. with justice scalia's passing, it's going to be 4-4 until the next president or the current president puts a new justice on that supreme court. so the entire balance of this supreme court now is at stake. justice scalia's passing could change the balance of the court. imagine the impact that could have on everyday american life. >> so what do we know, then, about the process of replacing him? how will that unfold? it is going to be remarkably complex and, of course, it unfolds during a presidential campaign. >> you hate to throw around the word "un

you see father scalia, father paul scalia blessing his father's casket. father scalia will give the homily tomorrow at the basilica in washington d.c. airyawn devogue was inside. >> reporter: the supreme court is different from the political branches. there hasn't been a lot of turnover. you saw the family members there, the justices and all the employees behind. before that casket came in the justices walked in and stood in order of seniority, and they were silent for several minutes looking sad near the center was ruth bader ginsburg. h her really good friend. behind the portrait of scalia, peering behind were several employees who have worked here for years. scalia was on the bench for so many years, and you could see some teary eyes there, and behind that was the courtroom door. it was open. if you looked through it, you could see the black cloth over his bench seat and black cloth was around the doors. it was very poignant, very quiet in that room right in front of that supreme court chamber. >> i also want to bring in joan biskupit. she wrote a book

justice scalia: justice scalia: what do i like best? i like figuring out the right answer to legal questions, believe it or not. and not everybody does. i think some people have left, become an appellate judge, they find it quite unsatisfying when they get there. you have to have a rather work mind to wantrped to spend your life they bring out the answer to legal questions. it is a very isolated job. -- the only time you see people from the outside is when you are listening to arguments from counsel. other than that, it is very ,isembodied, intellectual work probably most closely resembles the work of a law professor, which is what i was before i was here, so i am no more unhappy than i was before. susan swain: after two decades of doing it, is there any aspect of the job, if you had a choice to pass on to somebody else and avoid? justice scalia: i think undoubtedly, in my mind, the most -- what should i say? onerous and for the most part on interesting part of the job -- on interesting part of the job is an rolling court cases. when i

janette and i mourn the loss of justice scalia and our thoughts and prayers are with the scalia family. now marco rubio and ted cruz have fired a shot across the battle of the senate to say, do not let president obama nominate and have confirmed a replacement to justice scalia. because they know, obviously, that president obama will nominate someone with contrary legal views to those of justice scalia and tip the weight of the court from 5-4 in favor of the conservative side to 5-4 in favor of the liberal side. so they are telling the senate, do not let that happen. which will set up a battle royale i can imagine between the white house and the congress as the president will definitely want to take this opportunity to put in place a justice scalia, the justice of his choice. so we'll see how this plays out in the weeks and months to come. and we'll also see how it plays out in the debate tonight. because you can bet this will probably be, if not be the opening question of tonight's debate, very close to the top. and all of the remaining six candidates in this republican race will all h

justice scalia was 79 years old. we understand he was on a hunting trip in the western part of texas, as -- and he apparently died from natural causes. senior white house correspondent jonathan karl is with us now what do we expect the president to say? >> reporter: i expect the president -- well, there he is. >> good evening, everybody. for almost 30 years, justice antonin scalia was a larger than life presence on the bench. brilliant legal mind, with an energetic style. incisive wit. and colorful opinions. he influenced a generation of judges, lawyers and students and profoundly shaped the legal l d landscape. he will be remembered as one of the most consequential judges and thinkers to serve on the supreme court. justice scalia dedicated his life to the cornerstone of our democracy. the rule of law. tonight, we honor his extraordinary service to our nation and remember one of the towering legal figures of our time. antonin scalia was born in st n trenton, new jersey, to an italian imgrant family. after graduating

think the legal version of reagan is scalia. we still have the debates in the terms scalia did. but this next election and this next replacement for this seat could replace the direction. >> former law clerk on the supreme court and a former uc berkeley professor, thank you. >>> he has been called the most influential legal mind of the last quarter century. justice antonin scalia dead at 79. more reaction from colleagues and friends coming up. >> he was the most hey mom. yeah? we've got allstate, right? uh-huh. yes. well, i found this new thing called allstate quickfoto claim. it's an app. you understand that? you just take photos of the damage with your phone and upload them to allstate. really? so you get a quicker estimate, quicker payment, quicker back to normal. i just did it. but maybe you can find an app that will help you explain this to your father. quickfoto claims. just another way allstate is changing car insurance for good. withof my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ordinary objects often seemed... intimidating. doing something simple... meant enduring a l

justice scalia: justice scalia: what do i like best? i like figuring out the right answer to legal questions, believe it or not. and not everybody does. i think some people who lust to become an appellate judge, they find it quite unsatisfying when they get there. you have to have a rather warped mind to want to spend your life they bring out the answer to legal questions. it is a very isolated job. the only time you see people from the outside is when you are listening to arguments from counsel. other than that, it is very disembodied, intellectual work, probably most closely resembles the work of a law professor, which is what i was before i was here, so i am no more unhappy than i was before. susan swain: after two decades of doing it, is there any aspect of the job, if you had a choice to pass on to somebody else and avoid? justice scalia: i think undoubtedly, in my mind, the most -- what should i say? onerous and for the most part uninteresting part of the job is enrolling court cases. when i first arrived, if i am correct it was s

scalia wasn't. he was consistent and you could disagree with him and he was disciplined intellectually of the court. that had an impact on the court. and it was an authtensity as a jurist. he would sometimes disagree on cases with the conservative members on the fourth amendment and he could surprise people. you would not be surprised if you knew the jurisprudence. to him that came first. his removal from the court couldn't be more significant. and i expect there will be a battle royale just for president obama to replace the conservative icon. >> as we wait for president obama's comments tonight. it will be interesting to see and we are hearing he will make a nomination and democrats are pushing forward for the vacancy and the senate to confirm it quickly. however our producer on capitol hill said if there was a situation where the president would have a recess appointment and considering what we heard from the senate and majority leader mitch mcconnell. republicans will not allow the vacancy be bu

scalia, marine scalia have had nine children. cliff is in flint, michigan. what do you think justice scalia's legacy is? caller: i think for a lot of americans, justice scalia was a divisive figure on the court. while he claimed to view the constitution as far as its original intent, he was always 100% behind all conservative views. and that is like saying he had already pre-judged his opinion before he heard any case. 100% of the time, justice scalia was going to decide for whatever conservative views are. not what the constitution was. if we really looked at the constitution original intent. that means african-americans are three fifths of a human being. you cannot sit there and say i view it the way it was written. this country is not what it was when the constitution was written. it's changing, therefore a fair justice has to look at the constitution in the context of how america is now not 200 years ago when a document was written that enshrined slavery into its law. host: thank you, sir, for calling in. justice scalia was nominated in june of 1986 and

, father paul scalia. he will be presiding. we are joined in the studio by father james martin, and from time to time to walk what may be a lane on catholic audience through this will be explaining what we see. and father, even though there is a cardinal present, the mass will be said by this priest, of course, the son of justice scalia. this was a procession to come to the front of the church, and meet the arriving body of justice scalia. >> that's right. these are the introductory rights. it's the same as in any catholic funeral and the sbrant went to the casket, plefd it and on the casket was placed a wipe cloth. a child is given a paul or a white cloth at their baptism. and they're told, bring this garment unstained into the kingdom of heaven. so it links us with the baptism. and then the procession will come back to the front of the church where the casket will be placed. and then the funeral mass will start. >> father, thank you. we will only add our words to what you're seeing on the screen if somet

>> he night talk about scalia's quality, the way scalia writes. he is known for writing colorful opinions. you can talk about that without necessarily talking about, my understanding is obama disagrees with most of what scalia has written. there is probably a way to talk about his influence on the court. his relationship with ginsburg and so on. i don't presume to know what the president will say. >> i don't presume to know either. i can tell you from past precedent, this is a president who knows the law well and is fluent in it. we were talking about how the republicans might sound if they're catching up on the fly with this story. obviously, constitutional law professor barack obama who studied, taught at chicago and good study at harvard i wouldn't be surprised if he might discuss the way that justice scalia influenced thought on the court. influenced conservatives. we see the president coming out. let's listen in. >> good evening, everybody. for almost 30 years, justice antonin scalia was a larger than life president on the bench. brilliant le

justice scalia: usually. i think you can usually tell which ones pertain to a major piece of legislation. a majorion that is impact on society. sure. host: does it affect the decision process? justice scalia: not mine. i don't think it does. i put in as much blood, sweat, as tears on the little cases i do on the big ones. if anyone asked me what is the faced, youe you have wouldn't want to know. it was a relatively insignificant case, but it was very hard to figure out. there is no relationship whatsoever between how important it is and how hard it is. host: will you tell me not? -- now? justice scalia: you don't want to know. host: i want to ask you about the role of clerks and what you do. you have had many of them over the years. do stay in touch with them? justice scalia: i do indeed. reunionan annual clerks every year. it is good to see them. it is one of the most enjoyable parts of the job. you work very closely with four young people every year. there are new ones every year. they are full of figure. t

justice scalia: the devil makes me do it. [laughter] ginsberg, the next question from josh gibson, a student at the kennedy school. the first amendment is a bit of a grab bag of for -- free expression. did the founders decide against including others? are there others that they or you that you would have wished had been included? justice ginsberg: i was concerned about having a bill of rights. maybe there were some you left out. a statement in the ninth amendment that says -- the enumeration of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others. one thing we did not ring out before was that the first amendment is the first amendment. the first thing that was on the minds of the framers was not freedom of speech or of the press but rather about not having an established church. the first thing is that no log respecting the establishment of religion. and then the freedom side of it or prohibiting the free exercise there was. the first thing they did not want to have was the church of england. that is kind of a ne

justice scalia is like that and the writing shows >> i love to pick up an opinion from justice scalia whether it be attacks, bankruptcy, or the most obscure topic and he brings it to life. you talk about how he is able to write and not everybody -- law can be boring. it is not boring when he writes. is that right? >> he is very engaged. that is what drew me to him. he is interested in the world at large. he would respond to my questions and ask other questions with different topics and questions asked about him. >> tell me about his biography and his upbringing, education and parents. >> he has an unusual story because he's the only child from this catholic family. his mother came from a family of seven but the only one who bore a child. his father, who came from sicily, was one of two kids and the only one who had an offspring. his father knew no english when he moved here but went to college and got a degree in romance language and went on to be a professor. he set high standards for his son. his mother's side was out there. everything was a sensation between the parents in terms of

scalia. a massive setback for the conservative movement and our country. saint augustine, florida, republican line, good morning. >> thank you for listening. while i was waiting, i formulated several questions that i didn't have before. roosevelt tried to stack the court and how that is representative of whatever president would like to do. i'm also wondering if the senate judiciary committee cross examines these candidates that the president would nominate, to the questions of the senate judiciary committee asked, do they influence the final decision? the issues that they asked the nominee? host: to her earlier point? guest: fdr was a very popular president and had a big economic problem when he came in in the depression and passed a lot of aggressive laws seeking to address it. the supreme court in the 30's was very conservative, very hostile to the new deal and struck down many of those initiatives, making fdr very frustrated. in 1937, to get around the supreme court, he proposed a plan to

supreme court justice antonin scalia. according to a government source and a family friend, scalia died in his sleep during a visit to texas. a government official says scalia went to bed last night telling friends he was not feeling well. he did not get up for breakfast, found unresponsive in his room at the texas ranch. just moments ago supreme court chief justice john roberts issued this statement. on behalf of the court and retired justices i'm saddened to report that our colleague as passed away. he was an extraordinary individual and ad mired by his colleagues. his passing is a great loss to the court and the country he so loyally served. we extend our deepest condolences to maureen and their family. he was the first italian american to sit on the nation's court. sworn in on september 26, 1986. he was 79 years old. our joe johns has a look back at his life and his legacy. >> i antonin scalia do solemnly swear. >> justice scalia was a conservative in thought but not in personality. >> he has a pugnacious personality.

supreme court anthony scalia has died at age 79. scalia was nominated to the u.s. supreme court in 1986. we understand through reports right now that he was a guest at the sebola creek ranch in the big bend region south of marla where he was found dead. and we are continuing to follow the developments of this story and are waiting for our chief legal correspondent who covers the supreme court on a routine basis, shannon breen, we'll get a phone report with her momentarily. but again, just to acknowledge what is going on right now for those of you just tuning in, justice anthony scalia has been found dead at age 79. we are continuing to follow the developments of this breaking story. heather, you and i just finished wrapping up our 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. newscast for "america news headquarters" when we were getting word about this and now the confirmation is in. >> a tremendous loss and reportedly initial reports say he died of natural causes. back in 1986, he was appointed by ronald reagan. he was the longest serving chief justice, originally appointed to fill the assoc

so justice scalia was justice scalia before he came to the supreme court. and his life on the supreme court continued, i think, who he was before. but i know every single one of the people had the privilege of working for him, regardless of how they viewed his ultimate votes or his politics, you know, couldn't help but develop enormous respect for his integrity as a justice. >> we're speaking to lawrence lessig, a former clerk to justice scalia. talk about his humanity and his humor. it's often mentioned by people we've interviewed today, reflecting on his passing, that he was close friends with justice ginsburg, who had opposing views on many key and high-profile cases. there's research that shows he drew more laughter than most other justices, because there are law professors, as you know, as a professor, they would count anything, they would count the laughter in response. and yet we're looking at them on screen right now, of the photos they take, the photo spray, one of the only time the justices come out together for anything that could be called pr, a

the people who disliked nino scalia, justice scalia, were those who didn't know him. he was a agree garious man. filled up every room with his robust laugh. and he loved life. and he loved other people. from the left to the right, it didn't matter. he was really the -- a perfect model of what we done so see how much anymore, the ability to disagree at every level with somebody on little or judicial issues, but to not only be civil but to be friends, genuine friends with them, in any other respect. it's well-known that justice scalia was good friends with ruth rabader ginsburg. that's one example of countless examples. he is a wonderful man and will be missed by those of us who know us. >> thank you for sharing your inigts. >>> the gop candidates left standing faced off last night in south carolina. did any candidate walk away a winner? our political panel helps break that down? >> plus, the latest from where justice scalia died. casey steel is in el paso, texas, tonight. >> reporter: this is the funeral home in el paso where justice scalia's body was brought overnight

justice scalia was a devout catholic. his son, one of his sons is actually a catholic priest and will give the homily tomorrow. he is waiting at the top of the supreme court steps for his father's casket. the justice had nine children in all, 36 grandchildren. a lot of family on hand both today and tomorrow. >> his son, father paul scalia, as you said will deliver the funeral mass tomorrow. you talk about the controversy that is surrounding president obama's decision not to attend the funeral, is it customary libby, for penalties to attend the deaths of a supreme court justice? >> we've only seen four justices die while still sitting on the bench in 65 years. when justice rehnquist died, chief justice, of course, president bush did attend that fub rely, but it's not always done. president eisenhower was in office when two justices died. he went to the funeral of one, not the other. this is an individual decision that the white house can make and the white house said they believe the way to pay their respects is to have th

justice antonin scalia dead at 79. tonight, i'm joined by those who knew him as we look back at the man who left his park on the nation's highest court. >> i think things are better as far as the supreme court's jurisprudence is concerned by my likes. they're better today than what they were 26 years ago. it's all right. >>> breaking tonight, the leading conservative voice on the nation's highest court is silenced. hello and welcome to "justice" on a sad night. i'm judge jeanine pirro. tonight, the nation is mourning the death of antonin scalia. he was found dead, apparently of natural causes this morning in west texas during a hunting trip. he was 79 years old. reaction is pouring in tonight, and i'll be joined by colleagues and friends of justice scalia, including governor mike huckabee in just a few minutes. we'll also talk about the enormous upset that this will have on the race for president. but with me now is fox news chief legal correspondent shannon breen. >> this is a big blow to the conservative block on the

(sot: father paul scalia/antonin scalia's son) family." father scalia was on the verge of tears as he talked about his dad's love for his wife of 56 years and the couple's nine children. (sot: father paul scalia/antonin scalia's son) "to have each other for support, that's the greatest wealth parents can bestow. and right now, we are particularly grateful for it." (standup: weijia jiang/cbs news/washington, d.c.) scalia's funeral service was the first for a supreme court justice held here at the nation's largest roman catholic church. religion was an important part of his life. (sot: john garvey/catholic university president) "it was a reminder that there were more important things in his life than

justice scalia: i was surprised. i would've thought the purpose for which i used the president statement and did not criticize the president statement. i said it might be right. the only point i made from it was that the attorney general had argued before us that there was no reason the government enforcing immigration laws. sibley enforcement priorities. he didn't have enough money. to decide who goes first and whatnot. was that evende if that was true. in my view a sovereign state or thee able to supplement adequate enforcement with its own funds to the want to. and then i had to moreover it has since come to light that the problem is not just inadequacy of enforcement funds. unwillingness pressure good reasons of the government to enforce the law. for that purpose i cited the president statement. which seem to be perfectly fair. i did not see the president statement was wrong. i just say with the attorney general had told us. concerning enforcement priorities. since he is the public record shows. problem.ole read

chris, the legacy of antonin scalia. who is, who was antonin scalia? >> well, he was a very consistent guy. very roman catholic in his religion. very loyal to his religion, faithful and devout, i believe. and very conservative in his reading of the constitution. i would say he had sort of a unitary look at life. his religion, his judicial philosophy. his politics. they were all consistent with each other. he was able to live a life, when i interviewed him once off the record, years ago, i remembered thinking about him, and this isn't giving away anything, except, what i left with was the impression that he said, an early 1950s guy like my father's friends at the knights of columbus, just regular catholic in his conservatism to the church, which was all something he brought into his judicial philosophy as well. he brought them all together. so he would be pro-life, if you will, to use the shorthand in a way that was very consistent with his religion and his reading of the constitution and its limitations. what's going to be interesting tonight, is if do

supreme court justice antonin scalia has died. the longest-serving justice on the nation's high court, a towering conservative figure known for his blistering dissents, his strict interpretation of the constitution. the court and the conservative movement suffering a huge loss. >>> and good evening. thank you for joining us on this i'm tom llamas. and we do begin with that breaking news. supreme court justice antonin scalia has died. justice scalia was the longest-serving justice on the high court. appointed by president ronald reagan back in 1986. scalia passed away on a visit to texas, and abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas joins us with what we know at this hour. pierre? >> reporter: tom, law enforcement sources tell me that justice scalia died earlier today in texas, apparent of natural causes. u.s. marshals are at the scene, scalia was a giant figure in washington and news of his death has spread quickly. we're told president obama has been informed, as has senior justice department officials. fair to say that of

supreme court justice antonin scalia has died. justice scalia was the longest-serving justice on the high court. appointed by president ronald reagan back in 1986. scalia passed away on a visit to texas, and abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas joins us with what we know at this hour. pierre? >> reporter: tom, law enforcement sources tell me that justice scalia died earlier today in texas, apparent of natural causes. u.s. marshals are at the scene, and there is no evidence of foul play. scalia was a giant figure in washington and news of his death we're told president obama has been informed, as has senior justice department officials. fair to say that official washington tonight is stunned. tom? >> that is right. pierre, thank you so much. the sudden death of justice scalia, a huge loss for the court and the conservative moment. chief justice john roberts calling him, kwoement, an extraordinary individual and admired and treasured by his colleagues. abc's martha raddatz on the justice who helped shape the bench. >> rep

scalia was a hero to conservative legal scholars. he was not on the bench at the time that roe versus wade was decided but he stood in ardent opposition to the high court's decision in that case, and in an exclusive in-depth interview with former cnn anchor piers morgan justice scalia took piers into his thinking on roe versus wade. >> my special guest, justice antonin scalia and his co-author brian garner. let's turn to roe v. wade because you -- justice scalia, you had very strong opinions about this time. i know you do now. why were you so violently opposed to it? >> i wouldn't say violently. i'm a peaceful man. adamantly opposed. >> adamantly. >> adamantly. basically, because the theory that was expounded to impose that decision is a theory that does not make any sense. and that is, namely, the theory of substantive due process. there's a due process clause in the constitution, which says that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process. that is obviously a guarantee, not of life, not of liberty,

scalia quite well. their friendship date back during the reagan administration. with more on that -- candace sweat joins us with more. >> he certainly has an opinion. but he says justice scalia scalia was a kind and decent man who also happened to be an icon. >> reporter: as a young lawyer lawyer, howard was an admirer of justice scalia scalia, became friends and even hunting buddies. >> you can't find a guy with that kind of power back in the court, especially in these deplorable times. >> reporter: howard realizes there are many different views of his friend. scalia took a conservative stance on controversial issues, including abortion, lbgt rights, and affirmative action. still, scalia was idealized and howard says his intellect is the reason why even those who disagree with him at least respected him. >> you know, regardless of a person's ideal apology, everyone respected him. him. >> reporter: president ronald reagan named scalia to the high court in 1986. and he quickly gained a reputation for him

>> he night talk about scalia's quality, the way scalia writes. he is known for writing colorful opinions. you can talk about that without necessarily talking about, my understanding is obama disagrees with most of what scalia has written. there is probably a way to talk about his influence on the court. his relationship with ginsburg and so on. i don't presume to know what the president will say. >> i don't presume to know either. i can tell you from past precedent, this is a president who knows the law well and is fluent in it. we were talking about how the republicans might sound if they're catching up on the fly with this story. obviously, constitutional law professor barack obama who studied, taught at chicago and good study at harvard i wouldn't be surprised if he might discuss the way that justice scalia influenced thought on the court. influenced conservatives. we see the president coming out. let's listen in. >> good evening, everybody. for almost 30 years, justice antonin scalia was a larger than life president on the bench. brilliant le

justice scalia: i think so. i think anybody who is present in the united states has protections under the united states constitution. americans abroad have that protection. other people abroad do not. they don't have the protections of our constitution. justice ginsburg: when we get to the 14th amendment, it doesn't speak of citizens. some constitutions grant rights to citizens but ours says the person is every person who is here documented or undocumented. marvin: i see. i've a question from david, whom you know. where do you look to decide whether freedom of the press is or is not identical with freedom of speech? i have a feeling that's a loaded question. justice scalia: i have never thought that it was anything except identical. i cannot imagine that you can limit some things that can be spoken but cannot limit things that can be printed. i think it's the same criteria as to whether the limitation is to gone constitutional. justice ginsburg: i think david must have a case in mind. [laughter] marvin: a questi

and justice scalia is in that category. he has been the leader of the conservative wing on the court since he was appointed by president reagan in 1986. and his departure leaves a huge political fight in the offing because this is a court with five republican appointees, four democratic appointees. president obama will have the opportunity to nominate someone. and there will be one of the great battles in united states senate history over whether president obama's nominee even gets a vote because of the senate republicans recognizing how important it is to maintain a conservative majority on the court. president obama is only president for another ten months. and the question will be whether president obama's nominee, who i expect will come quickly, will get a vote at all in the remaining months of his presidency. >> and, jeffrey, let's talk through some of the cases that stand out to you most that he wrote. you know, wrote the leading opinion, decision on. what stands out to you most when you think of the history of the ca

supreme court justice antonin scalia has died. he was known as influential conservative of the high court. >> tonight the flag outside the supreme court has been lowered in his honor. he served 29 years. good evening to you. i'm juliette goodrich. >> and i'm brian hackney. president obama is expected to speak about his passing in just a moment and as soon as the president takes the podium, we will carry it live. justice scalia died in his sleep while on a trip to texas. he's being remembered for his intellect and for his interpretation of the constitution. >> reporter: supreme court justice antonin scalia made his mark during his three decades on the supreme court. he asked more questions and made more comments than any other justice and was known for his out-sized personality and brilliant legal mind. according to the u.s. marshal's service he was found dead this morning when he didn't show up for breakfast at a resort in west texas. ronald reagan chose him for the high court in 1986 and he was the longest serving member of the c

justice antonin scalia was a conservative in thought, but not in personality. >> justice scalia has an ir repressably pugnacious personality. even in his early years at the court that came out both at oral argument where he was the most aggressive questioner and behind the scenes where the memos that he wrote had a real galvanizing effect among the jurists. >> he was able to light up or ignite a room with his often barack demeanor and we could sense of humor. grounded in american law and its constitutional traditions. >> feisty. he can be belligerent. he's obviously very candid. completely not pc. pides himself in being not pc on the bench and in court. >> i'm an italian from queens. this is the top of the hill. >> a sharp mind combined with a sha sharp pen allowed scalia to make his point. >> he's very good, especially with audiences that aren't predisposed to like him. i think he's incredibly disarming and charming in his own way. >> he was raced in new york city, the only child of a sicilian born college profess tor aprofessor and a schoolteacher mother. >> i was something of a g

over the weekend. >> i, antonin scalia, do solemnly swear -- >> reporter: scalia was the longest-serving justice on the bench, appointed by ronald reagan in 1986. he was a pillar of conservative thought known for his biting dissents and his belief that ruling should be guided by the words of the constitution as it saturday morning, justice scalia was found dead in his room at this hunting ranch in texas. reportedly of natural causes. he was 79. word of his sudden passing hit washington, d.c. like a thunderbolt. >> we are one justice away from losing our fundamental rights in this country. >> scalia's death throws a huge unknown factor into this campaign. it has the potential to scramble the entire race for president. >> reporter: the constitution says the. >> sitting president can nominate the next justice, which is what president obama says he will do. >> i plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibilities to nominate a successor in due time. >> reporter: but that successor needs to be confirmed by the u.s. senate. which is controlled by the republicans. and in an unprecedented stateme

justices scalia, welcome. brian, welcome to you, too. >> thank you. >> the book is very much a template for the way that you conducted your legal life. you are a man that believes, fundamentally, that the law in america should be based rigidly on the letter of the constitution. that's what you believe, isn't it? fundamentally. >> yes, give or take a little. rigidly i would not say, but it should be based on the text of the constitution reasonably interpreted. >> people that criticize you for this say, a lot of the constitution was phrased in a deliberately vague way. they realize, when they framed it, that in generations to come things may change, which may put a different impression on a particular piece of text. >> sure. >> why are you not prepared to accept that that means you can move with the times, to evolve it? >> but i do accept that, with respect to those vague terms in the constitution such as "equal protection of the laws," "due process of law," "cruel and unusual punishments." i fully accept that t

justice scalia: oh. [laughter] it.: other courts do permit justice scalia: when i first came on the court, i was in favor of it. i have long since changed my view on that. those who want to do it say they want to educate the american people. thought that it would educate the american people, i would be in favor of it. if the american people watched our proceedings from gavel to gavel they would be educated. they would come to realize that now would again we do these sexy cases like rights to abortion or suicide -- most of the time we are not contemplating our naval we are not engaging in this broad, philosophical, ethical search. most of the time we are doing real law. the internal revenue code. the bankruptcy code. really dull stuff and no one would ever again come up to me and say -- justice scalia, why do you have to be a lawyer to be on the supreme court because they think we are looking up at the sky talking about rights. they can guess that as well as i can. the problem is that for everyone that wa

justice scalia: usually. you can usually tell which ones pertain to a major piece of legislation, a legislation that is a major impact on society, sure. susan swain: does it affect your decision process? justice scalia: not mine. you may have to talk to other people, but i don't think it does. i put in as much blood, sweat, and tears on the big ones as the little ones. if somebody asked me what is the hardest case you have ever decided while you have been on the bench? you would not want to know because it is a relatively insignificant case. but it was a hard case to figure out. there is no relationship whatever between how important it is and how hard it is. susan swain: can you tell me now that you have described it? justice scalia: you don't want to know. susan swain: i would like to ask you about the clerks role in what you do. you have had many of them over the years. do you stay in touch with them? justice scalia: we have an annual clerks reunion. it is great to see them. it is one of the most enjoyable

supreme court justice antonin scalia has died. laura: aixa diaz has the latest on the breaking news for us from washington. aixa: supreme court justice , antonin scalia, has died at the age of 79. the u.s. marshal's service in washington confirmed the death at a private residence in southwest texas. court, john roberts says he is , saddened to report the death of his colleague, calling scalia an extraordinary individual and jurist. he says his passing si a great loss to the court and the country he so loyally served. the conservative justice was appointed by president reagan in 1986 and this year would have marked 30 years he served on the bench. in washington, i'm aixa diaz. todd: this news comes just hours before the 9th republican presidential debate in south carolina. the debate could be a make or break moment for all remaining six presidential candidates. the top two contenders tweeted out their responses to scalia's death. ted cruz tweeted, "justice scalia was an american hero." we own went to him, and the nation for the sen

scalia and his kids and grandkids. he loved his family so much and my heart goes out to them now. >> can you tell us a little bit about him as a man, as a friend? >> yeah. you know, he was a pure joy to work for. he cared intensely about getting the answer right. he cared nothing about who was a friend. politics didn't matter to him. he cared so much about getting the answer right under the constitution or if he was interpreting a statute. i worked with him when i was 27 years old. he had locked himself in the office and it was no longer a supreme court justice and student just out of law school. it was whoever made the best argument prevailed. he loved that. he loved to mix it up. he often said to me that if he could change one thing, it was he struggled long and hard with what he thought the right answer was and joked to me, when he wrote the case, he wrote it with a great deal more certainty than he may have had while he was trying to figure it out. >> let me ask you a question. it's jeff toobin here. so i've been t