Who is David Souter? Former Supreme Court Justice Dies at 85

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican appointee who became a key figure on the court’s liberal wing, has died at age 85, the Supreme Court confirmed on Friday. Souter passed away on Thursday, ending a legacy marked by judicial restraint, independence, and quiet integrity.

Appointed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush to replace liberal Justice William Brennan, Souter was initially expected to move the court to the right. However, he surprised many by siding frequently with the court’s liberal justices on major decisions concerning abortion rights, civil liberties, affirmative action, and voting rights.

A Quiet Justice With a Strong Voice

Souter, often described as a “stealth nominee,” was known for his measured, scholarly approach to the Constitution. “The whole point of it was that it was a Constitution and a Bill of Rights for the indefinite future,” he once said. He saw the law not as an abstract theory, but as something deeply connected to real-world consequences.

During his nearly two-decade tenure on the court, he authored many important decisions. In a 1992 case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he was part of the majority that upheld the core principle of Roe v. Wade, affirming a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. In 2005, he also wrote a majority opinion ruling that displaying the Ten Commandments in courthouses violated the First Amendment.

Respected but Misunderstood

His liberal rulings led many conservatives to regret his nomination. The phrase “No More Souters” became a rallying cry for stricter ideological vetting in judicial nominations. Still, Chief Justice John Roberts praised him as a man of “uncommon wisdom and kindness.”

After retiring in 2009 at age 69 — far younger than most justices — he returned to New Hampshire, where he avoided the public eye, hiked, read books, and occasionally served on lower courts.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor replaced Souter, becoming President Barack Obama’s first appointee to the court. Today, she is the senior member of the court’s liberal bloc.

A Private Life, Well-Lived

Born in Massachusetts in 1939, Souter grew up in New Hampshire. He graduated from Harvard, studied at Oxford, and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. Known for his simple lifestyle and aversion to technology, he famously wrote his opinions by hand and once said cameras would enter the Supreme Court only “over my dead body.”

A man of unique habits, Souter reportedly ate the same lunch every day — plain yogurt and an apple — often consuming the apple core.

He never married and kept a low profile, yet his contributions to American law were far-reaching.

His Legacy

Souter’s principled independence helped shape key areas of constitutional law and reminded Americans that judges are not always predictable political actors. His quiet dedication to fairness, equality, and restraint left an enduring mark on the nation’s highest court.