Anthony Kennedy
Anthony Kennedy: A Legacy of Judicial Excellence
Full Name and Common Aliases
Anthony McLeod Kennedy was an American lawyer and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1988 to 2018. He is commonly known for his moderate-conservative stance on various issues, which often led to pivotal decisions in landmark cases.
Birth and Death Dates
Kennedy was born on July 23, 1936, in Sacramento, California. He passed away on May 26, 2020, at the age of 83.
Nationality and Profession(s)
As a United States citizen, Kennedy's professional life was dedicated to law and politics. Before joining the Supreme Court, he served as a federal judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1975 to 1988.
Early Life and Background
Kennedy grew up in Sacramento, California, during the Great Depression. His family struggled financially, but his father's determination to provide for them instilled in Kennedy a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility. He attended Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature in 1958. After serving in the United States Army as a lieutenant, Kennedy returned to Stanford to study law, graduating with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1961.
Major Accomplishments
Kennedy's tenure on the Supreme Court was marked by several significant decisions that shaped American jurisprudence. Some of his most notable contributions include:
Roe v. Wade (1992): Kennedy wrote the majority opinion upholding a woman's right to abortion, stating, "The woman's privacy is at stake... The issue is whether it must be so."
Lawrence v. Texas (2003): In this landmark case, Kennedy delivered the majority opinion, declaring that laws prohibiting consensual same-sex relationships were unconstitutional.
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015): Kennedy authored the majority decision, stating that "same-sex couples may exercise their fundamental right to choose one's own spouse" and thus have the right to marry.Notable Works or Actions
Throughout his career, Kennedy was known for his dedication to public service and commitment to upholding individual rights. Some notable works include:
The Federal Judiciary in an Era of Constitutional Reform (1967): This law review article showcased Kennedy's early interest in judicial reform and the role of the judiciary in shaping constitutional law.
* The Jurisprudence of Justice Powell (1996): In this tribute to his fellow justice, Lewis F. Powell Jr., Kennedy highlighted the importance of judicial restraint and the limits of judicial power.
Impact and Legacy
Anthony Kennedy's impact on American jurisprudence cannot be overstated. His decisions have had a lasting effect on issues such as reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and individual freedoms. As the Court's swing vote for nearly three decades, Kennedy played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's constitutional landscape.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Kennedy is widely quoted and remembered for his moderate-conservative stance on various issues. His ability to craft nuanced opinions that balanced competing interests earned him respect across ideological divides. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, "Justice Kennedy was a stalwart defender of the Court's independence."
Quotes by Anthony Kennedy
We can't bypass our heritage. We can't bypass the knowledge of who we are. You don't take a DNA test to see if you believe in freedom. Freedom is taught, and teaching the Constitution - I won't go on too much.
The fascination about being a judge is the same about the duty of being a judge, and that is to ask yourself, Why am I about to rule the way I am about to rule? You must always ask yourself that question.
Civics isn't something where you learned - learn it for a couple weeks in high school; it is who we are. Americans defined themselves by their Constitution. That is what creates us. This is our heritage, and you must know our heritage.
A judge sometimes must release a criminal. He doesn't like it, she doesn't like it, but the law requires it. And the context of an election in which you are "soft on crime" betrays a misunderstanding of the judicial process and a misunderstanding of the Constitution.
Our system presumes that there are certain principles that are more important than the temper of the times. And you must have a judge who is detached, who is independent, who is fair, who is committed only to those principles and not public pressures of other sort. That's the meaning of neutrality.
'1984,' one of the most important works ever written, helped us understand the Cold War. In '1984,' the dictatorship was always surveilling you. Now, young people want to be surveyed. They want people to know where they are at all times.
We hold that same sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry in all states.
A commitment to the Constitution is not something that's genetic. It's not inherited. It's not automatic. It has to be taught. And each generation must learn about the Constitution and the values of constitutional institutions within the context of their own time, within the environment of their own time.
If the case is close, 5-4, and let's say you are on the side that prevailed with the majority, there are not a lot of high-fives and back slaps. There is a moment of quiet, a moment of respect, maybe even sometimes awe in the process. We realize that one of us is going to have to write out a decision which teaches and gives reasons for what we do.