Two Supreme Court seats now open....

From www.nbcsandiego.com

Chief Justice William Rehnquist Dies
POSTED: 8:15 pm PDT September 3, 2005
UPDATED: 9:31 pm PDT September 3, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died Saturday evening at his home in suburban Virginia, said Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg.

A statement from the spokeswoman said he was surrounded by his three children when he died in Arlington.

"The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his dues on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," she said.

Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1971 by President Richard Nixon and took his seat on Jan. 7, 1982.

President George W. Bush said he was notified about the death at about 11 p.m ET. His thoughts and prayers are with the Rehnquist family, he said.

Rehnquist was elevated to chief justice by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Rehnquist's death ends a remarkable 33-year Supreme Court career during which he oversaw the court's conservative shift, presided over an impeachment trial and helped decide a presidential election.

Rehnquist was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Milwaukee. He was the second-oldest Chief Justice in U.S. history. The oldest died at age of 87.

He underwent a tracheotomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2004.

In 2002, Rehnquist missed some court sessions after falling and hurting his knee. He also struggled with chronic back pain over the years.

Rehnquist cast the deciding vote to stop the ballot recount in the 2000 election. In 1973, he voted against the decision to legalize abortion in Roe v. Wade. He's particularly known for supporting states' rights over the federal government.

Rehnquist married his college sweetheart Natalie Cornell in 1953. They were married for some 38 years when she died in 1991.

Rehnquist had three children: James, Janet and Nancy.

Because of Rehnquist's death, Bush will now get at least two appointments to the nation's highest court.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement on July 1. Bush has nominated John Roberts, 50, a former Reagan associate counsel, to be her replacement.
Roberts' confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin this month.
Wrap...