Supreme Court Justice Souter to retire

Supreme Court Justice David Souter plans to retire, media outlets reported Thursday
night.

“Reliable sources” told National Public Radio that Souter
— a relatively young justice at 69 years of age — plans to retire
at the end of this term, which is set to conclude in June, and informed
the White House of his decision. NBC also reported Souter’s retirement,
citing “various government officials.”

A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court told The Hill on Thursday night that Souter had no comment on the reports.

The
retirement opens an opportunity for President Obama to refresh
Souter’s reliably liberal vote on the Supreme Court with a new jurist. Souter,
a former New Hampshire state Supreme Court justice, was nominated to
the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush.

{mosads}Obama’s
nominee would already face a filibuster-proof majority of Democrats in
the Senate, presuming Al Franken (D) is seated.

Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), who
announced this week that he would switch parties to pursue reelection
as a Democrat, was the chief Republican opponent of Obama’s judicial
nominees, having served until now as ranking member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who
currently serves as the ranking member of the Finance Committee, may take over Specter’s spot on the Judiciary
Committee.

Former
University of Chicago law professor and White House Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs head Cass Sunstein, as well as
Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree, have long been said to be
on the shortlist for Obama’s Supreme Court choices. Solicitor General Elena Kagan is also believed to be under consideration for the high court.