Staff Reports
Today, all nine of the Supreme Court justices, along with the retired Anthony Kennedy, gathered to honor the late Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. They lined up in the court’s Great Hall to pay their respects to the trailblazing jurist, who passed away at the age of 93 on December 1st.
Sandra Day O’Connor’s body will lie in repose outside the nation’s most powerful courtroom before her funeral at the National Cathedral, where President Biden will deliver a eulogy. It’s no surprise that Biden, then a senator, had voted in favor of O’Connor’s nomination by President Ronald Reagan, as she was a Republican nominee.
During her time on the Supreme Court, O’Connor was known as a pivotal swing vote, often casting deciding votes in crucial cases. Notably, she played a significant role in the 2000 case of Bush v. Gore, in which the court halted Florida’s recount of presidential ballots, ultimately securing George W. Bush’s victory in the state and the Electoral College.
O’Connor’s legacy also includes siding with the majority in landmark cases that conservatives have found concerning, such as Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down state laws against same-sex sexual conduct, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed the federal right to abortion.
After retiring from the Supreme Court in 2005, O’Connor held the role of chancellor at the College of William and Mary for seven years. Her passing is a loss to the conservative movement, and her impact on the court and the country will not be forgotten.
