WASHINGTON D.C. (WKZO-AM) — Justice Antonin Scalia’s death has thrown a whole new twist into the presidential campaign and sent a shockwave through the legal community.
Even before his death had been confirmed, Republican presidential candidates were calling on the U.S. Senate to stall filling his seat until after the election.
Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School constitutional expert Brendan Beery said they can do that, but it could cost them politically. He said there are several cases coming up that a philosophical shift in the court could impact.
“It has tremendous implications on future cases about voting, about social issues, about unions,” Beery said.
He said a tie means nothing. The rulings from the 13 district courts would stand, but only in those districts.
“We can conceivably have 13 different approaches to the same federal question coming out of the 13 different regions of the county and, with no majority in the Supreme Court, it’s going to be a mess,” Beery said.
Gov. Rick Snyder has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until the burial of Scalia, who died in his sleep over the weekend. He was on a quail hunting trip in Texas.
– John McNeill
