Souter To Resign From Supreme Court

NPR is reporting that Justice David Souter, long rumored to be unhappy in Washington and eager to return home to New Hampshire, will resign from the Supreme Court this year.

The 69-year-old justice is expected to remain on the bench until President Obama chooses a successor — his first high court pick. Many court-watchers think Obama is likely to choose a woman, particularly because of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent bout with pancreatic cancer. Because Justice Souter is considered a moderate liberal on the court, his resignation is unlikely to significantly change the court’s political balance.

Likely candidates to replace him include Elana Kagan, Obama’s Solicitor General; Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals court judge in New York who was nominated by the first President Bush; and Diane Wood, a federal appeals court judge in Chicago nominated by President Clinton.

MSNBC and Politico this evening confirmed NPR’s report.