Chief Justice Rehnquist dead at 80
Chief Justice Rehnquist dead at 80
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a conservative force on the Supreme Court for over 30 years, died on Saturday after battling thyroid cancer since October, a court spokeswoman said. Rehnquist, 80, experienced "a precipitous decline in his health in the last couple of days" and died in the evening at his home in Arlington, Virginia, surrounded by his three children, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said. As chief justice, Rehnquist pushed the closely divided nine-member court to the right, and President George W. Bush was expected to use the opening to continue his own drive to add conservative voices to the judiciary. The Supreme Court has enormous power at the top of the judicial branch of government. Its decisions on constitutional issues are final. Rehnquist's death came just days before the Senate was to begin confirmation hearings for John Roberts, a conservative appeals court judge picked by Bush in July to replace the more moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and whose choice ignited a partisan clash. The court's new term opens on October 3. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush was informed of Rehnquist's death just before 11 p.m. (0300 GMT). "The President and Mrs. Bush are deeply saddened at the passing of Chief Justice Rehnquist. His family is in their thoughts and prayers," McClellan said in a statement. Bush, already grappling with widespread criticism of the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina, now faces the additional challenge of choosing a replacement for Rehnquist. INFLUENTIAL CAREER Rehnquist carved out a record as one of the most conservative jurists in U.S. history on a court closely divided on such contentious issues as abortion, the death penalty and separation of church and state. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said Rehnquist "leaves behind a legacy as one of the most influential chief justices in our nation's history." He was named by President Richard Nixon to the court and served for nearly 15 years before being elevated by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 to be the 16th chief justice. Despite his cancer diagnosis and treatment, he declined to retire, determined to perform his duties as chief justice as long as possible. Rehnquist voted with the conservative majority to expand states' rights in several areas and allow more public funding of religious activities. He dissented on some landmark decisions on social issues, including the 1973 ruling that women have a constitutional right to an abortion and from the 2003 rulings upholding gay rights and the use of race in student admissions at public universities. As the nation's top judicial officer, Rehnquist presided over President Bill Clinton's historic impeachment trial before the Senate in early 1999. Rehnquist joined the court's conservative majority as a bitterly divided Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 vote in 2000 to stop ballot recounts in Florida, effectively giving the presidency to Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore. The Wisconsin native graduated in 1952 at the top of his class at Stanford University law school in California. Friend and classmate Sandra Day O'Connor joined him on the court in 1981. He was a private lawyer who joined the Justice Department in 1969 during Nixon's presidency. HIGH COURT SUCCESSOR Rehnquist's death raised the possibility the hearings on Roberts' nomination could be postponed and gave Bush the opportunity of nominating Roberts as chief justice, a possibility administration officials have talked about in the event Rehnquist died. Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), a Massachusetts Democrat, said the consideration of successors to Rehnquist and O'Connor should be held off to allow the Bush administration and Congress to focus on the Katrina disaster. "We should proceed carefully and appropriately in filling these important vacancies. With Justice O'Connor committing to stay until her replacement is named, we can and should remain focused first on protecting our citizens who need help the most," Kennedy said. Frist said he would discuss with Senate Judiciary Committee leaders whether the Roberts' hearings should be postponed due to the death of Rehnquist. To fill a second opening on the court, Bush could return to the list of candidates he considered before nominating Roberts to replace O'Connor. Among the possible candidates are U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and appeals court Judge J. Michael Luttig. Bush could also elevate a current member of the court such as Justice Antonin Scalia or Justice Clarence Thomas. (By Jackie Frank. Additional reporting by James Vicini, Steve Holland and Charles Abbott)
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