Sad to say, the lectures I used to coordinate at RC never got this much press. With reporting by David Francis at Foreign Policy, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia discusses the future of the death penalty in the US —
In his historic address to Congress Thursday, Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic church, called for the United States to end the death penalty. If Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is correct, the pontiff may soon get his wish.
Speaking at Rhodes College in Memphis Tuesday night, Scalia, who was appointed by Ronald Reagan and is considered one of the more conservative justices on the court, said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if his fellow justices ruled executions by the criminal justice system unconstitutional. He added that he personally believes executions are legal if the person who is to be put to death received a fair trial.
Scalia based his prediction on simple math: He believes death penalty opponents on the nation’s highest court will soon have the five votes necessary to overrule the four other justices, who would be willing to preserve the system.
Kudos on hosting a news-worthy event, y’all!
Amanda Cellini 