Supreme Court members
Originally posted: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Chief Justice: John Roberts — Succeeded Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 2005 (confirmed 78-22) after initially nominated for Sandra Day O'Connor vacancy; Harvard College, Harvard Law School; U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 2003; Roman Catholic; wife Jane Sullivan Roberts; 56 years old (1/27/55).
Associate Justice: Antonin Scalia — Succeeded Warren Burger via William Rehnquist's position as Associate Justice, 1986 (98-0); Georgetown University, Harvard Law School; United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 1982; Roman Catholic; wife Maureen McCarthy Scalia; 75 years old (3/11/36).
Associate Justice: Anthony Kennedy — Succeeded Lewis Powell, 1988 (97-0); Stanford University, London School of Economics, Harvard Law School; United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit (San Francisco), 1975; Roman Catholic; wife Mary Davis Kennedy; 74 years old (7/23/36).
Associate Justice: Clarence Thomas — Succeeded Thurgood Marshall, 1991 (52-48); College of the Holy Cross, Yale Law School; United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1990; Roman Catholic; wife Kate Ambush Thomas (divorced), Virginia Lamp Thomas; 62 years old (6/23/48).
Associate Justice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Succeeded Byron White, 1993 (96-3); Cornell University, Columbia Law School; United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1980; Jewish; husband Martin Ginsburg; 78 years old (3/15/33).
Associate Justice: Stephen Breyer — Succeeded Harry Blackmun, 1994 (87-9); Stanford University, Magdalen College (Oxford), Harvard Law School; Jewish; United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit (Boston), 1980; wife Joanna Freda Hare; 72 years old (8/15/38).
Associate Justice: Samuel Alito — Succeeded Sandra Day O'Connor, 2006 (58-42), after nomination of Harriet Myers withdrawn; Princeton University, Yale Law School; United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit (Philadelphia), 1990; Roman Catholic; wife Martha Alito; 60 years old (4/1/50).
Associate Justice: Sonia Sotomayor — Succeeded David Souter, 2009 (68-31); Princeton University, Yale Law School; United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit (New York), 1998; Roman Catholic; husband Kevin Edward Noonan (divorced); 56 years old (6/25/54).
Associate Justice: Elena Kagan — Succeeded John Paul Stevens, 2010 (63-37); Princeton University, Worcester College (Oxford); Harvard Law School; United States Solicitor General, 2009; Jewish; unmarried; 50 years old (4/28/60).
Votes in Bush v. Gore, Dec. 12, 2000:
7 justices (Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, Breyer, Souter) ruled the use of different standards of counting ballots in different Florida counties was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, 2 justices (Stevens, Ginsburg) dissented.
5 justices (Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy) ruled Dec. 12, 2000, was the deadline established by Florida for completing recounts; 4 justices (Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter) dissented.