Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican appointee who retired from the high court in 2009 after voting consistently with its liberal wing, has died, the Supreme Court announced on Friday.

Bookish and reclusive jurist David Souter, who joined the U.S. Supreme Court as a supposed conservative "stealth nominee" but instead emerged as a liberal justice who backed abortion rights and dissented in the 2000 ruling that gave the presidency to Republican George W.