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U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 20 February 2016
Thousands pay respects to late US Justice Antonin Scalia
MARK SHERMAN displayed nearby. In it, the Supreme Court Justices, from left, Elena Kagan, Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
SAM HANANEL justice is shown surrounded and Anthony Kennedy participate in prayers at a private ceremony in the Great Hall of the Su-
Associated Press by images representing im- preme Court in Washington, Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, where late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Sca-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The portant moments and influ- lia lies in repose.
eight remaining U.S. Su- ences in his life, including
preme Court justices joined a framed wedding photo- (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
family members, former graph of his wife, Maureen.
law clerks and members of The extended Scalia family
the public Friday in paying gathered around the wid-
their respects to their late ow inside the court.
longtime colleague An- Scalia’s clerks also took
tonin Scalia in a tradition- 30-minute turns standing
laden, solemn day at the near the casket in groups
marble courthouse atop of four, and planned to do
Capitol Hill. so through the night until
The Rev. Paul Scalia, the his body is taken from the
justice’s son and a Catho- court for his funeral on Sat-
lic priest, said traditional urday.
prayers at a private cer- The court building was to
emony before thousands be open for 9½ hours to al-
of people filed through the low visitors to file through.
court’s Great Hall, where At one point, the line of
Scalia’s casket lay on a people waiting to pay re-
funeral bier first used after spects stretched more than
President Abraham Lin- a block and the wait to get
coln’s assassination. in was 90 minutes.
“You have called your ser- Visitors passed near the
vant Antonin out of this collection of flowers and
world. Release him from the goods people left to re-
bonds of sin and welcome member Scalia and some
him into your presence,” of his sharply worded com-
the sixth of the justice’s nine ments. Scalia had called
children said. Roberts’ opinion for the
Outside the court, mean- court in last year’s health
while, a makeshift memo- care case “pure apple-
rial was set up featuring jars sauce.” He compared Ken-
of applesauce, a pile of nedy’s majority opinion de-
fortune cookies and paper claring the right of same-
bags, items that figured in sex couples to marry to the
the outspoken conserva- “mystical aphorisms of the
tive Scalia’s sharp dissents fortune cookie” and said
in recent cases. he would hide his head in a
President Barack Obama paper bag if he ever joined
and first lady Michelle such an opinion.
Obama planned to pay Scalia’s sudden death
respects later Friday, while complicated an already
Vice President Joe Biden tumultuous election year.
and his wife Jill Biden were His death gives Obama
to attend Saturday’s funer- a chance to replace the
al Mass. conservative stalwart with
On Friday, 98 former law a more liberal successor
clerks to Scalia lined the who could tilt the ideologi-
Supreme Court’s steps as a cal balance of the court
police honor guard carried for decades to come.
the casket into the building Senate Majority Leader
beneath the iconic words Mitch McConnell and
“Equal Justice Under Law” other Republican leaders
just after 9:30 a.m. on a have said a replacement
cold, overcast morning. should not be named until
The justices stood near the the next president takes of-
casket in the same order fice. Obama has pledged
in which they will sit on a to pick a replacement “in
reconfigured bench fol- due time” and challenged
lowing Scalia’s death last Republicans to hold a vote
week in Texas. Chief Justice on his nominee.
John Roberts was between Scalia was found dead on
Justices Anthony Kennedy, Saturday in his room at a
the longest-serving mem- remote Texas hunting re-
ber of the current court, sort. The 79-year-old jurist
and Clarence Thomas. was appointed to the court
A 2007 portrait of Scalia by in 1986 by President Ronald
artist Nelson Shanks was Reagan.q
