▁Day ▁re cess . ▁S ot om ay or ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁Senate ▁on ▁August ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁ 6 8 – 3 1 , ▁and ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁as ▁an ▁Associ ate ▁Justice ▁on ▁August ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁David ▁S outer ▁ret irement ▁Long ▁before ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁President ▁Ob ama , ▁Associ ate ▁Justice ▁David ▁H . ▁S outer ▁had ▁expressed ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁leave ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁and ▁return ▁to ▁his ▁native ▁New ▁Ham pshire . ▁The ▁election ▁of ▁a ▁Democratic ▁president ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁made ▁S outer ▁more ▁incl ined ▁to ▁ret ire , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁situation ▁in ▁which ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁multiple ▁vac an cies ▁at ▁once . ▁S outer ▁apparently ▁became ▁satisfied ▁that ▁no ▁other ▁just ices ▁planned ▁to ▁ret ire ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ' s ▁term ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁in ▁mid - A pril ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁he ▁priv ately ▁not ified ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁of ▁his ▁intent ▁to ▁ret ire ▁from ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁at ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁its ▁business ▁for ▁that ▁term . ▁S outer ▁submitted ▁a ▁res ignation ▁letter ▁to ▁Ob ama ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁who ▁later ▁that ▁day ▁made ▁an ▁un sch eduled ▁appearance ▁during ▁the ▁daily ▁White ▁House ▁press ▁brief ing ▁to ▁public