>
Article snippet: Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a leading liberal during his time on the high court, died Tuesday night at the age of 99, the Supreme Court announced. In a statement, the Court said Stevens died at a hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., due to complications following a stroke he suffered on Monday. Stevens is survived by his two daughters, nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Stevens spent 35 years on the Supreme Court after he was nominated by then-President Gerald Ford in 1975. He saw seven different presidents and three chief justices during his time as a justice. And he played a crucial role in key Supreme Court decisions, from voting to reinstate the death penalty in 1976 — a vote he later said he regretted — to authoring a blistering dissent of the court’s 2000 ruling in Bush v. Gore. “He brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom, and independence,” Chief Justice John Roberts, who served alongside Stevens, said in a statement. “His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation. We extend our deepest condolences to his children Elizabeth and Susan, and to his extended family,” he added. Stevens retired from the Supreme Court in 2010 at the age of 90, opening the door for former President Obama to appoint Justice MORE to the court. But retirement didn’t render Stevens silent: He continued to speak out in recent years and even published a memoir in May. Stevens also made headlines last year as... Link to the full article to read more