Supreme Court Justice (nominated by Pres. Bush Sr. 1990)
Backs federal powers over states’ rights
The nine court members can be divided into three general alliances, but all of the justices have crossed ideological lines. The three conservative justices and two of the swing justices, including Souter, usually support states’ rights.
Souter frustrates conservatives by consistently backing federal powers. He’s a leader of the four-justice minority trying to slow movement to states’ rights.
Source: Reuters article in Boston Globe, p. A45
Dec 1, 2000
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