| BREAKING NEWS: Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies at His Home |
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| Written by Jeff Garvas | |
| Sunday, 04 September 2005 | |
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Ohioans For Concealed Carry has learned that United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died Saturday evening at his home surrounded by his family. According to the Associated Press the Chief Justice's health had declined in recent days. Earlier this summer Rehnquist said that he wanted to stay on the court as long as his health would allow. From the story:
Possible replacements include Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and federal courts of appeals judges J. Michael Luttig, Edith Clement, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Michael McConnell, Emilio Garza, and James Harvie Wilkinson III. Others mentioned are former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, lawyer Miguel Estrada and former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson. Rehnquist announced last October that he had thyroid cancer. He had a trachea tube inserted to help him breathe and underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Details of the chief justice's illness and his plans had been tightly guarded. He looked frail at Bush's inauguration in January and missed five months of court sessions before returning to the bench in March. On the court's final meeting day of the last term, June 27, Rehnquist appeared gaunt and had difficulty as he announced the last decision of the term _ an opinion he wrote upholding a Ten Commandments display in Texas. His breathing was labored, and he kept the explanation short. He had no public appearances over the summer, although he was filmed by television crews in July as he left the hospital following two nights for treatment of a fever. Rehnquist had an extraordinary career, with many historic milestones. President Bush is now challenged to nominate two candidates for the Supreme Court. In his first attempt Democrats were caught without much to complain about. Will Bush nominate a more clearly defined conservative justice? Only time will tell. |