California Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvin Baxter To Retire

Associate Justice Marvin Baxter of the California Supreme Court announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Baxter is considered the “most conservative member” of the court, though not an activist, according to the Los Angeles Times. The 74-year-old native of Fresno County was appointed by former Gov. George Deukmejian, and has served on the court for 24 years. His retirement, coming on top of the April retirement of Justice Joyce Kennard, opens an opportunity for Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown to create a more liberal high court. The California Supreme Court has had only one Democrat for decades.