Stevens, John Paul

US jurist

law clerk to Wiley Rutledge 1947-1948

judge on US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 1970-1975

Supreme Court justice 1975--

wrote decisions for Wallace v. Jaffree 1985 (6-3, states cannot permit moments of silence in public schools if intended purpose is presumably prayer), McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission 1995 (7-2, states cannot pass laws banning distribution of anonymous political leaflets), US Term Limits v. Thornton 1995 (5-4, states cannot impose additional eligibility requirements for members of US Congress, term limitations in particular), Clinton v. Jones 1997 (9-0, sitting president can be sued for actions outside scope of official duties), Clinton v. City of New York 1998 (6-3, Line Item Veto Act is unconstitutional)

only dissent in Libretti v. US 1995 (8-1, forfeiture of property as part of guilty plea settlement is not entitled to review by federal judge), US v. Armstrong 1996 (8-1, racial disparities in convictions for crack-cocaine possession are insufficient to prove that crack-cocaine laws and enforcement are racially discriminatory)