Retired Supreme Court justice David Souter passed away at the age of 85.
He served on the Supreme Court for nearly two decades, bringing uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service.
Driving the news: Souter was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President George H. W. Bush in 1990, where he served for almost 20 years. He initially frustrated Republicans by migrating to the court’s liberal wing, inspiring the rallying cry “No More Souters.”
- Souter was part of a coalition that upheld the essential holding of Roe v. Wade, establishing a constitutional right to abortion. He also sided with the court’s liberals on major issues like affirmative action and religion.
- Notably, Souter was one of the four dissenters in the Bush v. Gore case, which allowed former President George W. Bush to take office in the hotly contested 2000 presidential election. Souter considered resigning after the decision, believing his colleagues in the majority acted in a crudely partisan fashion.
- After more than 19 years on the Supreme Court, Souter retired in 2009 at the age of 69, a surprisingly young retirement age for a justice. He returned to his native New Hampshire, where he began his legal career, and continued to hear cases at the 1st Circuit Court by sitting by designation post-retirement.
- Prior to his tenure on the Supreme Court, Souter was a Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of Harvard Law School. He began his public service career as a prosecutor in New Hampshire’s attorney general’s office, eventually rising to become the state attorney general in 1976. He also served on the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals before his Supreme Court nomination.
- Souter maintained a low profile and made few public appearances after retirement, but in 2012, he expressed concerns about pervasive civic ignorance regarding the Constitution of the United States and the structure of government.
What they’re saying: “Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. “He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for over a decade. He will be greatly missed.”
