Lawyers and judges in North Texas are offering their tributes to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer after hearing that he plans to step down this summer.
"I don't think his departure has anything at all to do with his ability to continue to do the job," said Chief Judge of the North Texas Federal Courts, Barbara Lynn. "I think he's mentally and physically very sharp, very alert and very competent." Lynn has met Justice Breyer and describes him as "dedicated, diligent, animated and pragmatic".
Dallas attorney Bryan Garner has also met Breyer and has interviewed him about his legal writings.
"He really makes good points about how Americans need to come together and how we need to try to solve our problems instead of deepening the divisions in society," Garner said, "and he really explains very nicely how there are not Democratic judges and Republican judges...and it's a mistaken, simplistic way to look at the Supreme Court."
Breyer's decision means President Biden will have the opportunity to nominate a new member of the court.
"Justice Breyer has been under a great deal of pressure, particularly from liberal Democratic Party activists, to get out of the way...to ensure that Biden can make an appointment before Democrats possibly lose control of the Senate and the process after the 2022 elections," said SMU Professor of Political Science Cal Jillson.
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