Stevens, justice with seniority on court, will be taking charge

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist leaves the court's oldest member, 85-year-old liberal Justice John Paul Stevens, temporarily in charge.
The court operates on a strict seniority system, meaning that whenever the chief justice is absent, the justice with the most years on the court takes over.
Stevens, named to the high court by President Ford in 1975, also filled in for Rehnquist when the chief justice was absent from the bench for several months after announcing his cancer diagnosis in October.
Being chief justice, or acting as such, means presiding during oral arguments, running the court's weekly meetings, assigning the writing of decisions and generally keeping the paperwork running smoothly.
It is primarily an administrative job, but each chief justice also puts an ideological stamp on the court he leads.
The court is out of session until next month, so it is not clear how much of that work Stevens will carry out.
If the court convenes Oct. 3 without a newly confirmed chief justice, Stevens will issue the traditional welcome that starts the court term. He would do so from his usual seat next to Rehnquist's. The chief's large, center seat would be empty and draped in black.
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