US Supreme Court Justice Scalia found dead

WASHINGTON

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative legal jurist and icon was found dead Saturday. He was 79.

He was reportedly found dead in his sleep but the cause of death was not immediately released.

News of Scalia’s death was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News that said he died at a resort in Texas.

Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement that he was “saddened” to report Scalia’s death.

“He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues,” he said. “His passing is a great loss to the court and the country he so loyally served.”

In a rare Saturday night address to the nation, President Barack Obama honored the justice as "one of the towering legal figures of our time".

"Tonight, we join his fellow justices in mourning this remarkable man," he said.

Scalia's death likely sets the stage for a showdown between Obama and the Republican-controlled Senate that has to consider any nominee he puts forth.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on social media that the vacancy should not be filled until a new president is elected.

"The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice," he said.

During Saturday's national address, Obama said he would "nominate a successor in due time", calling the responsibilities he and Congress hold "bigger than any one party".

"There will be plenty of time for me to do so, and for the Senate to fulfill its responsibility to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote," he added.

Scalia was appointed to America’s top courting 1986 by then President Ronald Reagan. Throughout his career, he was determined to ensure that the court stay on a conservative tract, oftentimes refuting moderating voices on the bench.

His ideology was apparent in many of his legal rulings -- from supporting privacy rights, to backing state decisions to outlaw abortion. His defense of gun rights in 2008 was a crowning achievement.

He was the longest serving Justice on the Supreme Court.