David Souter, former Supreme Court justice, dead at 85

Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter died Thursday at the age of 85. Souter passed away at his home in New Hampshire.

"He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service," Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. In addition to his 20 years on the nation's highest court, he noted his subsequent decade on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. "He will be greatly missed."

He was born in Melrose, Mass., in 1939. A graduate of Harvard University, his career took him to the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office and then to the New Hampshire Superior Court. In 1990, he was appointed to the SCOTUS by George H.W. Bush.

Despite being promoted by a Republican president, his voting record shows that he repeatedly strayed from conservative orthodoxy. For example, as reported by the specialist website Justice, he opposed overturning Roe v. Wade, preferring instead to limit it.