The supreme court justice Antonin Scalia has died. He was 79.
Texas governor Greg Abbott issued a statement confirming the news and paying tribute to Scalia, a noted and staunch conservative.
The San Antonio Express News reported that Scalia was found dead on Saturday at a ranch in the Big Bend region of Texas, south of Marfa, and said he had been staying at a ranch, for a private party, and was discovered to have died after not attending a breakfast.
Local ABC affiliate KVIA reported that Scalia died in his sleep after a day of quail hunting.
“Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of God, a patriot, and an unswerving defender of the written constitution and the rule of law,” Abbott said.
“He was a solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution. His fierce loyalty to the Constitution set an unmatched example, not just for judges and lawyers, but for all Americans.”
Abbott’s statement concluded: “We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the supreme court will take his place as a champion for the written Constitution and the rule of law.
“Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
