Former US Supreme Court Justice Souter dies

Justice David Souter sits as Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States pose for a 2006 class photo inside the Supreme Court in Washington March 3, 2006. REUTERS/Larry Downing/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Bookish and reclusive jurist David Souter, who joined the U.S. Supreme Court as a supposed conservative "stealth nominee" but instead emerged as a liberal justice who backed abortion rights and dissented in the 2000 ruling that gave the presidency to Republican George W. Bush, died on Thursday at age 85.

Souter, who served 19 years on the court before retiring in 2009, died peacefully at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement on Friday.