president ford assigned his attorney general edward levy to just find me the best person, and, you know, i ll just mention one other thing that reminds us how things have changed. so john paul stevens was the first justice to go on the court after the court decided the abortion case, roe against wade. so roe against wade was decided in january of 1973. john paul stevens was nominated by president ford in december 1975, almost three years later. he did not get a single question at his confirmation hearing about abortion. wow. that just tells us something. and what i think it tells us is that it was only later that abortion became the political lightning rod that we have all grown up thinking of it as, and it was just just another issue among many back in 1975. it s interesting to me the
presidency rest entirely on his decision to nominate john paul stevens to the supreme court. when justice stevens retired at the age of 90 in 2010, president obama presented him with the medal of freedom. the presidential medal of freedom. chief justice john roberts, the current chief justice of the supreme court, released a statement tonight on the occasion of justice stevens death. on behalf of the court and retired justices, i am saddened to report that our colleague, justice john paul stevens has passed away. a veteran of world war ii, justice stevens devoted his long life to public service, including 35 years on the supreme court. he brought to our bench an inendlessable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom and independence. 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. the breaking news tonight, justice john paul stevens has died at the age of 99.
more on that coming up this hour as well. like i said, it has it has been a whirlwind news day, particularly in terms of legal news. but just capped with the very sad breaking news that we re just learning this hour that former supreme court justice john paul stevens, who became the leader of the liberal wing of the court in his later years, having initially been appointed to the bench by gerald ford, considering himself a republican excuse me, considering himself a conservative. john paul stevens, a remarkable career on the bench, a dissent in citizens united, the dissent in bush v. gore, the ruling that blocked the execution of the mentally ill, key rulings in terms of prisoners at guantanamo being allowed due process. john paul stevens has died tonight at the age of 99. we ve got much more to get to tonight. stay with us. t. stay with us award winning interface.