Term limits for SCOTUS?

I believe members of the Supreme Court should be subject to term limits. Admittedly there is a long learning curve to be a Supreme Court justice, but after a period of time, the justices have established their philosophical constitutional interpretations and should be allowed to fade away.

Who is going to retire from a job that pays $208,000 a year for an associate justice and $217,000 for the chief justice? They have lifetime tenure as long as they want it or unless they are impeached. Six of the current court were appointed by Republican Presidents. Only three were appointed by Democrats.

The lifetime appointments keep justices on the Supreme Court long after their beliefs are no longer relevant or even keeping with constitutional understanding. Politics weigh heavily in court decisions, no matter how much they deny it. Their deliberations are secret. The Supreme Court is the last appelate court to which one can go. No one can overturn their decisions but the Congress.

Justice Stevens has been on the court since 1975. (35 years!) Justices Scalia and Kennedy were appointed in 1986 and 1988 respectively. (24 years and 22 years). Clarence Thomas came to the court in 1991 (19 years). These are overly long held posts. Their judicial wisdom is not irreplaceable.

I propose a 20 year term limit on a Supreme Court justice. Twenty years is a very long time, and federal retirement benefits are generous. A justice could even seek another office. Heck, even 25 years would do. But there comes a point when history, and the Supreme Court, needs to move on.

For additional information about the Supreme Court, see Wickipedia.