The Western New England University School of Law will host a public forum titled “Replacing Justice Scalia” on Monday, April 11, at 12 noon in the Law Common. The forum will be presented by Law professors Bruce Miller, Sudha Setty, and Art Wolf, and sponsored by the University’s Institute for Legislative and Governmental Affairs. This event is free and open to the public.
With the death of Justice Scalia on February 13, the Supreme Court is stuck in a 4-4 split between liberal and conservative views. The forum panelists will discuss the “replacement politics” between President Obama and the Senate, concerning the appointment of a replacement justice during an election year, both historically and in recent administrations.
President Obama has nominated Chief Justice of the D.C. Circuit Court, Judge Merrick B. Garland, who has more federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in history. But, the president’s Republican opposition within the Senate, refuse to hold confirmation hearings, effectively blocking an appointment until a new President is sworn into office in January of 2017. Split decisions from the current Supreme Court defer back to lower court rulings, delaying any resolutions for both sides of the issue.
