Justice John Paul Stevens announced this morning that he will retire from the Supreme Court at the end of this Term. CAC President and Founder, Doug Kendall, has released the following statement:

Justice John Paul Stevens will be remembered as a towering figure in Supreme Court history and one our greatest Justices. Throughout his tenure on the Court, Justice Stevens has displayed a deep knowledge of, and respect for, the Constitution’s text and history, underscored this Term by his opinion last week for the Court in Padilla v. Kentucky, and his brilliant 90-page dissent in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.  In the last decade he has gone toe to toe with Justice Antonin Scalia and the Court’s other conservatives over the meaning of our Nation’s charter, winning more battles than he has lost, and showing that the Constitution itself points to progressive outcomes. We thank Justice Stevens for his decades of exemplary public service, and for his enormous contributions to the country and the law.

The American people love the Constitution. They want Justices on the Supreme Court who will faithfully interpret the law and apply the text, history, and principles of the Constitution, including all of the Amendments ratified by “We the People” in the past 220 years. CAC urges President Obama to nominate a successor to Justice Stevens who deeply respects the Constitution’s text and history and will be vigilant in protecting constitutionally-secured individual rights, including liberty and equality. We can think of no better tribute to John Paul Stevens.

More commentary to follow.