Neil Gorsuch appointed Supreme Court justice
Jazmyne Boozer, Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of Unsplash
Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was confirmed and appointed for life to the Supreme Court on Monday, April 10. The judicial spot has been filled after a 14-month vacancy after the former Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia passed away in February 2016. Gorsuch was chosen over Obama’s choice for Supreme Court justice, Judge Merrick B. Garland. Gorsuch who is 49 years old, will serve for life on the Supreme court and will act as a lasting legacy to the Trump Administration.
Judge Gorsuch was born in Colorado in 1967. He graduated from Harvard Law School earning his J.D., before he then transitioned to Oxford University, where he received his doctorate in legal philosophy. At the mere age of 39, Gorsuch joined the U.S. Court of Appeals in the tenth circuit. Gorsuch is not only a lawyer and politician but a writer as well. Author of The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, his book delves into the legality of the matter.
For Trump, Gorsuch’s confirmation was a win, as he attempts to keep up with the campaign promises he made while still in his first 100 days of office. One of his major promises was to appoint a supreme court justice with conservative views. Gorsuch was an obvious choice to replace Scalia, as they had similar conservative views. Both were vigorous textualists, meaning they believe that America should stick to exactly what the Constitution says. They believed that the Constitution does not “breathe” with time but rather it is a stagnant and constant document.
The appointment of Gorsuch is a huge score for conservatives, as Gorsuch has a history of strictly aligning himself with the Constitution. The public can expect Gorsuch to fight for religious freedom as well as freedom of speech which was constricted under the Obama administration.
Judge Neil Gorsuch will begin working on his first case this week.
