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Trivia Answer

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens died Tuesday at the age of 99. He was appointed by Gerald Ford (R) in 1975 to succeed Justice William O. Douglas and was Ford's only appointment to the court.

With Stevens’ death, how many retired U.S. Supreme Court Justices are still alive?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

The correct answer is three: Sandra Day O'Connor, David Souter, and Anthony Kennedy,

• Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired from the Supreme Court and took senior status in 2006, after serving for 25 years. She was appointed by Ronald Reagan (R) in 1981 and was the first woman to serve on the high court. Following her retirement, George W. Bush (R) appointed current Justice Samuel Alito.

• Justice David Souter served 19 years on the Supreme Court before assuming senior status in 2009. George H.W. Bush (R) appointed him to the Court to fill the vacancy caused by Justice William Brennan's retirement. To fill Souter’s vacancy, Barack Obama (D) appointed current Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

• Justice Anthony Kennedy assumed senior status and retired from the Court in 2018 after serving for 30 years. Ronald Reagan (R) appointed Kennedy in 1987 and he was confirmed by the Senate in 1988. Following his retirement, Donald Trump (R) appointed current Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Supreme Court justices who assume senior status can—like any other federal judge—serve on lower federal courts as assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and hearing a reduced number of cases. According to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, senior judges "typically handle about 15 percent of the federal courts' workload annually." Click here to learn more about senior status for federal judges.