Will Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Announce Retirement?

Veronica Neffinger | iBelieve Contributor | Updated: Jun 26, 2017

Will Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Announce Retirement?

Rumors are circulating that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy could announce his retirement today.

The Guardian reports that there is speculation that Kennedy, who will soon turn 81 and has been on the Court for nearly 30 years, will announce his retirement on Monday, which is the day of the Court’s last public session before it begins its summer recess.

A number of noteworthy announcements were made today by the Court, including its decision to hear the case of a Christian cake maker in an important religious liberty case, its ruling in favor of a Missouri Christian school in regard to a case involving the separation of church and state, and its decision to allow part of President Trump’s travel ban to take effect.

Will Justice Kennedy’s retirement be another newsworthy topic before the week is up?

Rumors began circulating after several of Kennedy’s former clerks said that he had pushed forward a reunion of his law clerks that originally had been scheduled for a year in the future. Some of the clerks said Kennedy was contemplating retirement.

“Soon we’ll know if rumors of Kennedy’s retirement are accurate,” one former Kennedy clerk, George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, said on Twitter on Friday, according to The Guardian.

Kennedy’s retirement would have a major effect on the Court. Kennedy was appointed to the Court by President Reagan in 1987. He has often been the swing vote in important cases.

Many experts have noted that, if Kennedy retires, President Trump will be able to secure a lasting legacy on the Court by appointing yet another conservative-leaning justice, following his previous appointment of Justice Neil Gorsuch.

“With two court appointments and maybe one more, Trump's presidency will be consequential even if he has few legislative achievements. This week may well demonstrate both,” stated one Washington insider, according to Axios.com.

 

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Publication date: June 26, 2017



Will Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Announce Retirement?