High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! William Joseph Brennan, Jr. (April 25, 1906 July 24, 1997) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. During his term on the Supreme Court, he was known for being a leader of the judicially liberal wing of the Court. He was known for his outspoken progressive views, including opposition to the death penalty and support for abortion rights. He also authored a large number of opinions, including Baker v. Carr, establishing the "one person, one vote" principle, and New York Times v. Sullivan, which required "actual malice" in a libel suit. Due to his ability to shape a wide variety of opinions, and due to his ability to bargain for votes in many cases, he was considered to be among the Court's most influential members.