(Fort Lauderdale, FL) -- Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is dead. The third-longest serving member in the high court's history died from complications of a stroke he suffered Tuesday. He was 99.
Stevens was appointed to the bench in 1975 by President Gerald Ford and continued to call himself a conservative until he retired in 2010. However, he was a leader of the liberal wing. He was a staunch defender of individual rights against the government. He was the second oldest justice when he retired at age 90.
Stevens, who was known for wearing a bow tie, was a code-breaker during World War Two. Beginning his law career after the war he made a name for himself going after corruption in Chicago. While he had a gentle nature in person, his rulings often had a bite. In the controversial 2000 Bush v. Gore decision he wrote in the dissent that while the true winner of the election will never be known, it is clear who lost. And that is the nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law.