Keep on Truckin'

Justice Stevens turns 86 today.

In the closing decade of the Rehnquist court, Stevens was the senior liberal justice. As such, when there was a split decision, he was often the senior justice on one side and was thereby entitled to assign the writing of the opinion. He almost always writes a dissenting opinion when in dissent and writes concurring opinions more often than most other justices historically. He also has an affinity for bowties, which, as one biography points out, "in its way is a dissenting opinion."

Even though Justice Stevens will be 86 years old by the end of the current term of the Court he has not shown any hints of opting for retirement. On the contrary, Stevens actively participates in questioning during the oral arguments before the Court and still plays tennis regularly. His possible retirement is a highly debated topic in legal and political circles in the U.S. Justice Stevens would be almost 89 years old if he remains on the court until the end of Bush's term in 2009.

From Wiki.