Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer officially announced his retirement on Jan. 27, a day after the news was leaked and widely reported.
Breyer, the most senior member of the U.S. Supreme Court’s liberal wing and staunch defender of a nonpartisan judiciary, will retire from the bench at the end of the current term, fulfilling the wish of Democrats who lobbied for his exit and clearing the way for President Joe Biden’s first high court appointment.
Breyer, the court’s oldest member at 83, will step down despite apparent good health, deep passion for the job and active involvement in cases, three sources familiar with the situation confirmed to ABC News. There has not yet been official confirmation from the court or from Breyer’s chambers.