[Iran Press TV Latest] The longest-serving member of the US Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens announced on Friday that he will be retiring from his post in mid-summer.
In a letter addressed to "My dear Mr. President," Justice Stevens, who is a leader of the court's liberal wing, informed US President Barack Obama about his plans to retire at the end of the current term in late June or early July.
"Having concluded that it would be in the best interests of the court to have my successor appointed and confirmed well in advance of the commencement of the court's next term, I shall retire from active service," the US Court justice wrote in his letter.
The venerable 90 year-old's decision is expected to set off a battle in Congress over who the Obama administration will appoint as his replacement.
Reacting to the retirement, the US president described Stevens as "brilliant, non-ideological, pragmatic," adding that "he leaves his position at the top of his game," and that "his leadership will be sorely missed."
President Obama pledged to move quickly on naming a nominee, saying that "While we cannot replace Justice Stevens's experience or wisdom, I will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities."
Meanwhile, Democrats close to the White House have named three individuals at the top of the US president's list -- Diane P. Wood, former colleague of President Obama at the University of Chicago and an appeals court judge in Chicago; Elena Kagan, a former dean of the Harvard Law School who is the United States solicitor general; and Merrick Garland, an appeals court judge in Washington. 
|
