Stevens to be buried at Arlington

WASHINGTON — Arlington National Cemetery has long been planned as the final resting place of retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. His second wife, Maryan, died in 2015 and was buried at the cemetery. The gravestone they will share has stood at Arlington, inscribed with both their names, since then. Stevens’ birthdate — April 20, 1920 — was chiseled on the stone, a blank space left for the date of his death.

Soon, that date will be added: July 16, 2019. Stevens died Tuesday at age 99, a day after suffering a stroke.

Funeral plans have not yet been announced, but Stevens is expected to be the 13th Supreme Court justice to be buried at the cemetery. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump ordered flags flown at halfstaff on the day he is buried. Flags at the high court were already flying at halfstaff Wednesday and the doors to the courtroom were draped in black.

In choosing to be buried at Arlington, Stevens decided to be buried near former colleagues. During his nearly 35 years on the court, he served with six other justices buried there.

During nearly 35 years on the court, Stevens stood for the freedom and dignity of individuals, be they students or immigrants or prisoners. He acted to limit the death penalty, squelch official prayer in schools, establish gay rights, promote racial equality and preserve legal abortion. He protected the rights of crime suspects and illegal immigrants facing deportation.

He influenced fellow justices to give foreign terrorism suspects held for years at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, naval base the right to plead for their release in U.S. courts.

Stevens served more than twice the average tenure for a justice, and was only the second to mark his 90th birthday on the high court.

Stevens