William J Brennan

American jurist called "probably the most influential Justice of the [20th] century." He served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990. As the seventh longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history, he was known for being a leader of the Courts liberal wing. He was known for his outspoken progressive views, including opposition to the death penalty and support for abortion rights. He authored several landmark case opinions, including Baker v. Carr, establishing the "one person, one vote" principle, and New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which required "actual malice" in a libel suit against those deemed "public figures". On November 30, 1993, Justice Brennan was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. Brennan died on 24 July 1997, aged 91, in Washington, D.C., USA. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less