John Paul Stevens, Liberal Champion of the Supreme Court, Dies at 99 In his 35 years on the Supreme Court, he improbably transformed from a Republican antitrust lawyer into the ardent leader of the court’s liberal wing. His notable opinions included the 2006 decision that repudiated the plan to put Guantánamo Bay detainees on trial by military commissions. NY TIMES JEFFREY TOOBIN, NEW YORKER