Anthony Kennedy served as a U.S. Supreme Court justice from 1988 to 2018, appointed by President Ronald Reagan. Kennedy was often the swing vote in closely divided decisions, particularly in cases involving civil liberties, abortion, and gay rights, earning him a reputation as a key figure in shaping the Court’s modern jurisprudence. His judicial philosophy was generally conservative on some issues but progressive on others, which made his decisions unpredictable yet deeply influential. One of his most significant contributions came in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), where Kennedy wrote the majority opinion legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, framing the decision as an extension of the fundamental right to marry and an affirmation of personal dignity. This ruling, among others, solidified Kennedy’s legacy as a champion of individual rights and liberty.
Kennedy was also central to key decisions on the death penalty, voting rights, and abortion rights, balancing a conservative inclination with a nuanced approach to constitutional interpretation. His opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) reaffirmed the core holding of Roe v. Wade while upholding certain state restrictions, and his vote in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) allowed for expanded political spending by corporations. Despite his generally conservative voting record, Kennedy’s independent streak and his willingness to protect individual freedoms made him one of the most consequential justices in modern history. His departure from the Court in 2018 marked the end of an era, as he had played a pivotal role in many of the Court’s most contentious and transformative decisions.
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