Texas judge discloses details about Scalia's health

WASHINGTON -- The Texas county judge who decided no autopsy was needed after the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has disclosed new details about Scalia's health in the days before he died.

Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara said Monday she spoke with Scalia's doctor on the day he was found dead in his room at a remote Texas ranch. She said the doctor told her Scalia had a history of heart trouble, high blood pressure and was considered too weak to undergo surgery for a recent shoulder injury.

Those details are seemingly at odds with recollections of friends who described Scalia as his usual, happy self during the days leading up to his death. News the 79-year-old justice was in declining health may come as a surprise to the public, but unlike presidents, the high court's members don't provide regular health disclosures.

Guevara said she consulted with Scalia's personal physician and local and federal investigators, who said there were no signs of foul play, before concluding he had died of natural causes. She said she spoke with a "Dr. Monahan" at some point after 8 p.m. Saturday to discuss Scalia's health history.

Rear Adm. Brian P. Monahan is the attending physician for members of Congress and the Supreme Court.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman could not confirm Monahan had examined Scalia, and Monahan did not return a phone message left for him at his Capitol office Monday.

Scalia's death was a shock to those at the Cibolo Creek Ranch where he died, as well as to the rest of the nation.

The owner of the ranch near Marfa, about 190 miles southeast of El Paso, said Scalia seemed normal at dinner the night before he was found "in complete repose" in his room.

John Poindexter said Scalia had arrived Friday and was part of a group of about 35 weekend guests. Scalia retired about 9 p.m., saying he wanted a long night's sleep, according to Poindexter.

Chris Lujan, a manager for Sunset Funeral Homes in El Paso, Texas, said Scalia's body was taken from the facility late Sunday afternoon and was to be flown to Virginia.

An El Paso International Airport official, Terry Sharpe, the airport's assistant director for operations, said a private plane carrying Scalia's body left the West Texas airport about 8 p.m. Eastern time Sunday.

Guevara said Monahan told her Scalia had gone to the doctor's office on Wednesday and Thursday before traveling to Texas and had an MRI on his shoulder. She said Monahan told her surgery was needed, but Scalia wasn't strong enough to endure surgery, so rehabilitation was recommended instead.

Scalia apparently had mentioned to some people at the ranch he was not feeling well, according to Guevara. She said that information came from her conversations with Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez and a U.S. marshal she identified as Ken Roberts, both of whom had seen Scalia's body and determined there was no foul play.

State law allows an inquest to be performed by phone. Guevara said she followed the procedure because both justices of the peace serving the region were out of town, and she also was about 65 miles away from the resort.

Guevara certified Scalia's death by telephone about 1:52 p.m. Saturday. She had previously conducted two other death inquests by phone.

Bryan Garner, one of Scalia's close friends and the co-author of two books with the justice, said Scalia seemed happy and jovial during recent trips to Hong Kong and Singapore in late January and early February. Garner said Scalia never mentioned anything about heart problems or other ailments during the trip.

"He did seem strong as ever," Garner said. "He was a very strong man physically."