It became official just after lunchtime on Wednesday, just after the Supreme Court announced its final decisions of the term and went into recess. Justice Anthony Kennedy, the 104th person to serve on the Court, is retiring, effective just after his 82nd birthday next month, after 30 years of service.

Justice Kennedy’s decision, announced in a two-paragraph letter to President Trump, has been predicted — and both eagerly anticipated and dreaded — for years now. He has been the swing vote in several noteworthy — for some, notorious — cases going back to the early 1990s, and in many has been the author of the opinion of the court.