supreme court

High Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to Retire

By John Jessup
Washington Correspondent

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will step down from the Supreme Court.

Her retirement leaves an important vacancy, and Washington is buzzing with speculation about who might replace O'Connor.

The Supreme Court term ended this week, and though many were expecting one or possibly more retirement announcements, it is safe to say no one was anticipating the timing in which it occurred.

O'Connor submitted her resignation letter to President Bush Friday morning after serving nearly a quarter century on the bench. Some of the recent rulings of the Supreme Court - even decisions handed down this week - show just how influential a role O’Connor played on the court.

But her influence has far-reaching implications. As the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court, O'Connor's life and accomplishments have long been celebrated as a picture of American pride.

“She leaves an outstanding record of service to the United States and our nation is deeply grateful,” President Bush remarked.

But her position on the court - often as the critical swing vote on some of the country's most explosive moral and cultural issues - has been equally criticized.

Friday morning, in a simple three-sentence letter, O'Connor informed the President that she would be retiring, saying, "It has been a great privilege, indeed, to have served as a member of the court for 24 terms…I will leave it with enormous respect for the integrity of the court, and its role under our constitutional structure."

O'Connor, a woman of humble beginnings, rose to become one of the most powerful women in the country. She held several government offices and served as majority leader in the Arizona state senate.

She became a trailblazer in 1981, when President Ronald Reagan nominated her as an associate justice to the Supreme Court, fulfilling a campaign pledge to appoint the first woman to the bench. O'Connor was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, and went on to be the key swing vote on issues such as abortion, religion, and affirmative action.

With Chief Justice William Rehnquist battling cancer and an aging court, republicans and democrats had already geared up for a court vacancy and showdown in the senate.

But now that O’Connor is the first to retire, some liberals want to paint her as a model of the type of conservative judge that the President should nominate.

“Justice O'Connor was a mainstream conservative and was confirmed unanimously by the Senate,” Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said. “I hope the President will select someone who meets the high standards that she set.”

“I will select a Supreme Court justice that Americans can be proud of. The nation also deserves a dignified process of confirmation in the U.S. Senate, characterized by fair treatment, a fair hearing, and a fair vote,” Bush promised.

The Bush administration said it will not make a decision on a replacement until after the President returns from the G-8 summit next week.

In the meantime, the White House will review possible candidates, anticipating a vacancy on the court. But the administration has remained tight-lipped about who is on the list.

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