Associated Press - October 26, 2009 4:24 PM ET

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A leading proponent of having courts stick to what the framers of the U.S. Constitution wrote says those who want modern-day legal interpretations to view the U.S. Constitution through contemporary lenses are seeking rigidity, not flexibility.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told a Tucson audience Monday that the rival approach favors sweeping judicial decrees to shape society "coast to coast" on issues such as abortion, rather than seeking to pass laws state by state.

Scalia appeared with fellow Justice Stephen Breyer to discuss how courts should apply the Constitution.

Breyer said interpretations should consider current circumstances because society has different values on matters such as cruel and unusual punishment than it did in the 18th century.

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