John Paul Stevens was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1975 to 2010. President Gerald Ford appointed him to the Court.
DI has documented statements by John Paul Stevens on Campaign Finance, Free Speech, and Housing Policy, among other topics. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
The reference point is constitutional protection for independent corporate and union election spending. Stevens condemns the majority's reasoning and warns of harm to democratic institutions.
Role at the time: Supreme Court associate justice, writing the majority opinion
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Stevens's majority opinion holds that New London's redevelopment plan serves a public purpose, so the takings satisfy the Fifth Amendment's public use requirement.
“Promoting economic development is a traditional and long accepted function of government.”
The reference point is New London's private economic-redevelopment taking. Stevens defends the city's redevelopment taking as serving a public purpose under the Court's precedents.
The Supreme Court protected corporate and union independent election spending in Citizens United. Defenders say the ruling protects political speech and association. Critics say it gives wealthy interests excessive influence and undermines democratic accountability.
The Supreme Court upheld New London's use of eminent domain for an economic-redevelopment plan. The majority treated the plan as a public purpose; dissenters warned that the rule exposed ordinary owners to transfers favoring more powerful private interests.
