Justice John Paul Stevens has announced he will retire at the end of the session this summer. Justice Stevens is the oldest of the justices and will be 90 active years old on April 20th, according to the NY Times, he still plays tennis. He was appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975. He has served through the terms of 7 presidents.
Justice Stevens is seen as one of the liberals on the Supreme Court. He would classify himself as a conservative.
He sent his letter of resignation to President Obama today. His retirement does not come as a surprise. It was hinted at in the NY Times several weeks go because he only hired one new law clerk. Most justices have 4.
Justice Stevens seems like an institution on our Supreme Court.
What I find amazing is that the readers would rather beat up a guy who has thrown in the towel rather than looking at something that is far far more important. A Supreme Court appointment can have a 50 year affect on the country.
It is the reason non-emotional people vote for presidents.
“John Paul Jones may be the last justice deemed qualified because
of ability and independence rather than perceived ideology.”
(NYT – 4-9-2010)
For the sake of our beloved Republic, I pray they are wrong.