David Souter, the former Supreme Court Justice who served for nearly two decades and became a key figure in the court’s liberal bloc, died Thursday at the age of 85, the U.S. Supreme Court announced.
The court stated that Souter passed away “peacefully” at his home in New Hampshire, where he had lived since his retirement in 2009. No cause of death was given.
Chief Justice John Roberts paid tribute to his former colleague, calling Souter’s service “distinguished” and praising his “uncommon wisdom and kindness.” Even after stepping down from the high court, Souter remained active in the judiciary, regularly sitting on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for over a decade.
Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, David Souter was initially expected to be a reliable conservative Supreme Court justice. However, he quickly became a source of frustration for Republicans by siding with the court’s liberal wing on major rulings.
Within just two years of his appointment, Souter helped uphold the core of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. His decisions in favor of affirmative action and separation of church and state further solidified