Justice John Paul Stevens to retire

Justice John Paul Stevens announced Friday that he will retire this summer.

Stevens, a leader of the Supreme Court's liberal bloc, will be President Obama's second Supreme Court appointment, BBC News said.

Steven will be 90 years old on April 20, which makes him the oldest member of the Supreme Court, said the Washington Post.

He was originally appointed by President Gerald Ford, a Republican president, in 1975. However he frequently supported issues considered more liberal including abortion, civil rights, and the relationship between the church and state, said BBC News.

The appointment of a new judge is unlikely to change the ideological balance of the court, the Washington Post said.