Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the third longest serving justice in American history, addressed a joint meeting of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and the Palm Beach County Bar Association on Nov. 9.

Known as "the justice in the bow tie," John Paul Stevens last addressed the Forum Club 18 years ago.  He was the oldest member of the U.S. Supreme Court when he retired in 2010.  The 92-year-old retired justice is the author of Five Chiefs in which he discusses many of the controversial decisions he was involved with over the years:  freedom of speech, affirmative action, capital punishment and sovereign immunity.  Widely considered to be one of the more liberal justices, Justice Stevens led the dissent against the Citizens United ruling several years back which allowed a flood of corporate money in U.S. elections and was responsible for many of the negative campaign ads you are now hearing during the presidential election.

Justice Stevens' nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court was made by President Gerald Ford and confirmed by the Senate in 1975.  Five years earlier, President Richard Nixon pegged him for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.