The legacy of Justice John Paul Stevens

Last week, Justice John Paul Stevens passed away.
His 35 years as a justice of the Supreme Court bring back memories of a better time, when nominations to the court were less controversial. In particular, Justice Stevens adhered closely to the legal doctrine that, if the Supreme Court had already decided an issue, a subsequent Supreme Court should remain consistent to that decision, barring exceptional circumstances, even if the justices would have decided the case differently were it before the