Who is the longest serving current justice on the U.S. Supreme Court?

The longest serving member of the current court is Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. He now has over 28 years of service. He was appointed in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan; and, he has been considered the swing vote on many court decisions. With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, this belief on swing voting could change.

Justice Kennedy is known for examining cases individually, rather than on a politically ideological basis. For this reason, he has often been the deciding vote in close rulings. He tends to take very broad views on Americans’ individual and constitutional rights, and typically votes in a way that places restrictions on certain issues – such as free speech and abortion. But, he does not altogether prohibit them. His rulings have also favored expanded rights regarding sexual orientation. Also, he is known for being tough on crime and makes few restrictions on police officers when it comes to apprehending suspects or gathering evidence of a crime.