Obama's Choice: Inside the Fight to Replace Justice Scalia

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death has set off a fiery debate in Washington over who gets to pick his replacement, a choice that will impact the American justice system for decades, NBC News reported.

Under typical circumstances, this wouldn't be such a big deal. But Scalia, the court's most influential conservative, died in President Obama's final year in office, in the middle of the court's term, with the candidates to succeed him fighting through the early primary season.

For the immediate future, the court now only has eight members, which means no tie-breaking votes.

If the court splits 4-4, then their decision is essentially negated, and the opinion of the previous federal appeals court stands — without making law for the rest of the country — University of Michigan law professor Samuel Bagenstos told NBC News.

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