Retired Justice David Souter died peacefully Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, according to a press release from the Supreme Court.

He was 85 years old and had served on the high court from 1990 to 2009 — a 19-year tenure.

Justice Souter was appointed to the high court by the late President George H.W. Bush, a Republican.

 “Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade. He will be greatly missed,” said Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Justice Souter served as the attorney general for New Hampshire and eventually served on the New Hampshire Supreme Court before being elevated to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1990.

He was then quickly appointed to the Supreme Court after being unanimously confirmed by the Senate. 

After he retired in 2009, President Obama appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor to his seat. 

When Justice Souter was first appointed to the court, he had a reputation to be a conservative justice but later moved to the middle and “became a darling of liberals,” according to The Associated Press.

• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.