April 30, 2009

Contact: Anna Christopher, NPR

NPR NEWS EXCLUSIVE: SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DAVID SOUTER TO RETIRE AT END OF COURT'S CURRENT TERM

NINA TOTENBERG REPORTS SOUTER HAS INFORMED WHITE HOUSE OF HIS DECISION


April 30, 2009; Washington, D.C. – NPR News is exclusively reporting that Supreme Court Justice David Souter plans to retire at the end of the Court's current term. NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg has exclusively learned that Souter plans to retire to return to his native New Hampshire, and has informed the White House of his decision. Souter's retirement would give President Obama his first appointment to the Supreme Court. Totenberg broke the story at 9:36PM (ET) on NPR News' All Things Considered.

Totenberg reports that Souter is expected to remain on the bench until a successor has been chosen and confirmed, which may or may not be accomplished before the court reconvenes in October. The court has completed hearing oral arguments for the year and will be issuing rulings and opinion until the end of June.

More details will soon be available at www.NPR.org Totenberg will discuss this story tomorrow morning on NPR News’ Morning Edition; for local stations and broadcast times, visit www.NPR.org/stations.