Former Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, a New Hampshire Republican appointed by President George H.W. Bush, died at the age of 85. The Supreme Court announced his death, marking the end of a life dedicated to the law by a judge known for his thoughtful independence and surprising path on the nation’s highest court.
Though he was first seen as a conservative pick, Souter became an important voice in the Court’s liberal group, leaving behind a complicated but lasting influence on American law. In 2009, at the relatively young age of 69, Souter retired from the Supreme Court. He kept working as a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
