Justice David Souter will retire from the U.S. Supreme Court, according to news reports, leaving a vacancy for President Barack Obama to fill.

Souter, 69, was nominated by former president George W. Bush. He usually sided with the more liberal justices so Obama's replacement likely won't bring a major shift in the court's rulings.

But in recent cases, Souter has been more than willing to side with tribal interests even if his colleagues didn't agree. In US v. Navajo Nation, he reluctantly agreed with the majority to end the Navajo Nation breach of trust case though he expressed regret that he wasn't able to convince the court otherwise.

In Carcieri v. Salazar, he wanted to give the Narragansett Tribeof Rhode Island another chance to pursue its land-into-trust application.

In Plains Commerce Bank v. Long, Souter joined a dissenting opinion that would have subjected a non-Indian bank to the jurisdiction of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

The Supreme Court's current term will end in June. The new term begins in October.

Get the Story:
Supreme Court Justice Souter To Retire (NPR 4/30)
Souter Reportedly Planning to Retire From High Court (The Washington Post 5/1)
Souter Plans to Leave Supreme Court (The New York Times 5/1)