New York Times reports that Justice John Paul Stevens who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 35 years (1975- 2010) died on Tuesday at the age of 99. The
First Amendment Encyclopedia summarizes Justice Stevens' church-state jurisprudence:
Stevens was a consistent defender of church-state separation in freedom of religion cases. He wrote the Court’s decision in Wallace v. Jaffree (1985), invalidating an Alabama moment of silence law. Stevens reasoned that the Alabama legislature had a clear religious purpose of bring prayer back into the public schools. Stevens also authored the Court’s decision in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000), invalidating a Texas high school district’s practice of announcing prayers over the loudspeakers at football games.
For lengthier discussions of Justice Stevens views on 1st Amendment religion issues, see:
- Andrew M. Koppelman, Justice Stevens, Religious Enthusiast, (2012).
- Gregory P. Magarian, Justice Stevens, Religion, and Civil Society, (2011).
- Michael Kessler, The Religious Neutrality of Justice John Paul Stevens, (2010).
- Christopher L. Eisgruber, Justice Stevens, Religious Freedom, and the Value of Equal Membership (2006).
- Robert F. Nagel, Justice Stevens' Religion Problem, (2003).
