Justice David Souter, touted as a steadfast conservative for the Supreme Court in 1990, soon revealed himself as the opposite.

No more Souters” was a right-wing battle cry for years. It led to the intense ideological vetting that gave us today’s conservative Court.

WASHINGTON — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85. Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement Friday.