Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter Dies At 85

Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter died at 85 years old on Thursday in his New Hampshire home, the court announced.

Souter, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, served on the court for more than 19 years.

“Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. “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 more than a decade. He will be greatly missed.”

Former President Barack Obama nominated Justice Sonia Sotomayor to take Souter’s place on the court following his retirement in 2009. After retiring at 69, Souter continued to hear cases on the First Circuit Court of Appeals for more than a decade and worked on civics education efforts in New Hampshire.

Though the George H.W. Bush White House hoped he would be a strong conservative voice on the court, Souter’s jurisprudence later aligned more closely with the court’s liberal wing. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he