Justice John Paul Stevens has left some clues he’s planning to retire this year, shortly after he turns 90 years old. He’s only hired one law clerk for next term, for example, and not the four that sitting justices typically hire every year.
And the hints keep coming. Stevens spent a good 20 minutes this morning reading a summary of his scathing dissent in the campaign finance case. And he showed his age.
The language in his written dissent was forceful. But it was striking to see him appear to stumble over words as he read it, to mispronounce words like “corruption” and “allegation,” to seem to lose his place in his summary, to often hit the microphone with his hand or his papers.
Full story: Justice Stevens Stumbles: A Step To Retirement? – CBS News