Saturday, September 03, 2005

Rest in Peace, Chief Justice Rehnquist (1925-2005)

Farewell to a man who represented an era, and presided over a historic term full of controversial decisions reflecting the shaping of the law and culture.

I fear Chief Justice Rehnquist's passing precedes more controversy, strife among the political parties, and division in this country. The black robes fall to another, but who can say who that will be? Republicans will most likely try to appoint moderate or conservative justices to preserve a conservative Supreme Court for the next few decades. Democrats and their allies will staunchly oppose this effort, trying to preserve Roe v. Wade and the trend toward judicial deference to international sources of law in application to the law of the United States.

While this marks the end of Chief Justice Rehnquist's esteemed career, this is only the beginning for attorneys, professors, law students, and the American public.

One can only guess what challenges lie ahead. I only pray that our leaders respect the memory of the Founders' vision of the Court and adhere to it.