Rehnquist, William

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US Supreme Court associate justice 1972–86, and chief justice from 1986. Under his leadership the court established a reputation for conservative rulings on such issues as abortion and capital punishment. This has been possible because a majority of its members have been nominated by Republican presidents; Rehnquist was nominated associate justice in 1972 by President Richard Nixon and chief justice in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

As chief justice, he wrote the majority opinion for such cases as Morrison v. Olson (1988), in which the court ruled that a special court can appoint special prosecutors to investigate crimes by high-ranking officials, and Hustler v. Falwell (1988), in which the court ruled that public figures cannot be compensated for stress caused by a parody that cannot possibly be taken seriously. Rehnquist dissented in Texas v. Johnson (1989), in which the court ruled that the burning of the US flag in protest is protected by individual rights set forth in the First Amendment. In 1990 he dissented on the court's ruling that it is unconstitutional for states to require a teenager to notify her parents before having an abortion.

The Pillars of Hercules represent the promontories of Gibraltar and Ceuta. The shield represents the regions of Castile, Léon, Aragón, Navarre, and Granada. Effective date: 18 December 1981. >>