Charles Dharapak
FILE - In this June 13, 2008 file photo Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy speaks at the Organization of American States in Washington. With the retirement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Kennedy, who already decides whether liberals or conservatives win the Supreme Court's most closely contested cases, is about to take on an even more influential behind-the-scenes role. By virtue of seniority, Kennedy will inherit Stevens' power to choose the author of some court opinions, an authority that has historically been used _ including in as big a case as the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision _ to subtly shape a ruling or preserve a tenuous majority. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
