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President Reagan Tuesday announced the retirement of Chief Justice...

WASHINGTON -- President Reagan Tuesday announced the retirement of Chief Justice Warren Burger and nominated Associate Justice William Rehnquist to be his successor.

Reagan announced he would nominate Antonin Scalia, 50, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, to the high court.

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At a White House news briefing, Reagan praised Burger, saying: 'He has led the Supreme Court for 17 years, during a period of great change.

'He is retiring now in order to devote his full attention to a momentous moment in our nation's history -- the 200th anniversary of the Constitution of the United States.'

Burger said he was leaving the court because the 200th anniversary celebration 'got a late start. We're vastly under-financed. We're going to have the devil's own time doing the kind of job we ought to do for this great event.'

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Burger said his health had nothing to do with his retirement.

'Do I look as if I'm falling apart?' he asked. 'I never felt better in my life.'

Burger admitted that during his tenure on the court he had accomplished 'not everything I set out to.'

Answering questions after Reagan's announcement, Berger made a plea for legislation to ease the case load on the Supreme Court.

'I have a high regard for each of them,' Burger said of his successor and the new justice designate.

'There are some other people who can carry on this work,' he said of the high court's work.

Burger joked about the unconfirmed report the court had found the Gramm-Rudman budget-balancing law unconstitutional.

'I thought that came down last week. Did you miss it?' he asked.

The Senate must confirm both the associate justiceship and Rehnquist as chief justice.

Rehnquist, who has had trouble with a bad back, said he would defer questions about his health until the Senate confirmation hearing. Scalia also deferred answering questions about his position on abortion until the Senate hearings.

Reacting sternly to a question about division among the justices on the court, Burger said 'it has not become more divided' during his tenure.

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Burger said the decision on the surprise shakeup on the court was made 'just a day or two ago.'

'What will you miss most about being chief justice?' he was asked.

'Really nothing,' he replied.

Burger said his decision to retire was not related on a wish to have Reagan appoint his successor.

'If that had been my desire, I would have had plenty of time,' he said.

Burger said he handed his resignation to Reagan 10 minutes before the announcement was made.

'I think they were alittle relieved,' when they got the letter, Burger said. 'All they had before that was just my word.'

His retirement is slated to become effective July 10.

Burger said the case in which the court ruled President Nixon must turn his tapes over to Watergate investigators was 'not the toughest' of his career, adding, 'There are 10 or 20 in that category.'

'I wasn't weary of being chief justice. It's a lot of fun,' Burger said.

But he said the writing of the Constitution was 'one of the great stories of the history of the United States,' and needed his full effort 'if we are going to celebrate this in its proper way.'

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'I expect to be working literally full time,' he said.

'I wouldn't call it the culmination of a dream, but it's not every day at the age of 61 you get to take on a new job,' Rehnquist said of his elevation to chief justice.

Reagan announced he would nominate Antonin Scalia, 50, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, to the high court.

At a White House news briefing, Reagan praised Burger, saying: 'He has led the Supreme Court for 17 years, during a period of great change.

'He is retiring now in order to devote his full attention to a momentous moment in our nation's history -- the 200th anniversary of the Constitution of the United States.'

Burger said he was leaving the court because the 200th anniversary celebration 'got a late start. We're vastly under-financed. We're going to have the devil's own time doing the kind of job we ought to do for this great event.'

Burger said his health had nothing to do with his retirement.

'Do I look as if I'm falling apart?' he asked. 'I never felt better in my life.'

Burger admitted that during his tenure on the court he had accomplished 'not everything I set out to.'

Advertisement

Answering questions after Reagan's announcement, Berger made a plea for legislation to ease the case load on the Supreme Court.

'I have a high regard for each of them,' Burger said of his successor and the new justice designate.

'There are some other people who can carry on this work,' he said of the high court's work.

Burger joked about the unconfirmed report the court had found the Gramm-Rudman budget-balancing law unconstitutional.

'I thought that came down last week. Did you miss it?' he asked.

The Senate must confirm both the associate justiceship and Rehnquist as chief justice.

Rehnquist, who has had trouble with a bad back, said he would defer questions about his health until the Senate confirmation hearing. Scalia also deferred answering questions about his position on abortion until the Senate hearings.

Reacting sternly to a question about division among the justices on the court, Burger said 'it has not become more divided' during his tenure.

Burger said the decision on the surprise shakeup on the court was made 'just a day or two ago.'

'What will you miss most about being chief justice?' he was asked.

'Really nothing,' he replied.

Burger said his decision to retire was not related on a wish to have Reagan appoint his successor.

Advertisement

'If that had been my desire, I would have had plenty of time,' he said.

Burger said he handed his resignation to Reagan 10 minutes before the announcement was made.

'I think they were a little relieved,' when they got the letter, Burger said. 'All they had before that was just my word.'

His retirement is slated to become effective July 10.

Burger said the case in which the court ruled President Nixon must turn his tapes over to Watergate investigators was 'not the toughest' of his career, adding, 'There are 10 or 20 in that category.'

'I wasn't weary of being chief justice. It's a lot of fun,' Burger said.

But he said the writing of the Constitution was 'one of the great stories of the history of the United States,' and needed his full effort 'if we are going to celebrate this in its proper way.'

'I expect to be working literally full time,' he said.

'I wouldn't call it the culmination of a dream, but it's not every day at the age of 61 you get to take on a new job,' Rehnquist said of his elevation to chief justice.

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