Souter Says Justices Are Eager for His Arrival

David H. Souter said Thursday that soon-to-be colleagues on the Supreme Court are eager for him to be sworn in to avoid the possibility of tie votes in controversial cases.

Souter, who will take his oath Tuesday as history’s 105th Supreme Court justice, said he needs to find a home and would love to play tourist--perhaps “with a paper bag over my head” to hide his newly famous face.

But he said of the other justices, who have already heard three days of case arguments: “They very much wanted me to start sitting on Tuesday because there is always the possibility of a 4-4 decision if they’re sitting without the full complement.”