John Paul Stevens
Biography John Paul Stevens, appointed to the Supreme Court in 1975, served as lowly freshman on the bench longer than any other justice did in this century. As the newest member of the Court, Stevens had the duty of keeping minutes and answering the door in the justices' closed conference. Stevens had to wait six years, until the appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor, before he relinquished his freshman spot. Today, after seven new freshmen, Stevens is the most senior justice, second only to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. Stevens now speaks first in conference after Rehnquist and Stevens can assign opinions in the event that he is in the majority and Rehnquist is in minority. Still, Stevens' influence remains uncertain.
Many observers point to his quirky and unconventional jurisprudence as a constraint on his ability to lead the Court. They argue that Stevens' individualistic personality keeps him permanently outside the mainstream of the Court and that he lacks the characteristics of a coalition-builder. Still, it would be difficult to discount Stevens completely in light of recent and moderate appointments.<snip>
As a justice,
Stevens has avoided simple conservative or liberal labels. As the Court moved toward the right during the Reagan and Bush presidencies, however,
Stevens appeared more and more liberal relative to the make up of the Court. Although Stevens is the least predictable justice sitting today, his approach to judicial decision-making can be summarized in a general sense. Stevens will typically examine the facts of each case carefully and on their own merits. He also seeks to defer to the judgments of others who he feels are better suited to decide. He has demonstrated considerable judicial restraint and deference to the Congress.
Stevens divorced his first wife in 1979 and married Maryann Simon a year later.
He remains something of a wildcard in the political balance of the Court. http://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/legal_entity/101/biography