Gov. Philip D. Murphy has ordered U.S. and New Jersey flags to fly at half-staff Friday, May 16, 2025 to honor the life of former United States Supreme Court Associate Justice David Hackett Souter.
Souter died May 8, 2025 aged 85.
A New Hampshire native, Souter earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1966 and began a distinguished career in public service shortly thereafter, serving as New Hampshire’s Attorney General from 1976 to 1978. Souter went on to serve at nearly every level of the judiciary, including the New Hampshire Superior Court, the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
In 1990, he was nominated by President George H. W. Bush and confirmed with strong bipartisan support to the United States Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 2009.
“Justice Souter left a profound imprint on America’s judiciary,” Murphy said. “He fought for core constitutional principles, including reproductive rights, the separation of church and state, and freedom of speech. We extend our condolences to his loved ones and will forever be grateful for his extraordinary life of service.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.