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Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Resigns

July 01, 2005

NOTE: KAY DALY IS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY FOR MEDIA COMMENT

(WASHINGTON, DC) The Coalition for a Fair Judiciary hailed the resignation of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor today.

O'Connor background:
Sandra Day O'Connor was born in El Paso, Texas, on March 26, 1930. She married law school classmate John Jay O Connor III in 1952 and raised three sons, Scott, Brian, and Jay - all while managing to put together one of the most remarkable legal and political careers in American history. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford University and graduated at the top of her law school class. She then served as Deputy County Attorney of San Mateo County, California, and as a civilian attorney for Quartermaster Market Center in Frankfurt, Germany. She later served as Assistant Attorney General of Arizona and as a member of the Arizona State Senate. In 1974, she was elected Judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court and served there until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated her as an Associate Justice, replacing Justice Potter Stewart. She became the Court s 102nd Justice and its first female member. Sandra Day O Connor has written two books, Lazy B and Majesty of the Law.

"On critical issues, time and time again, Sandra Day O'Connor was the fifth vote tilting the Supreme Court on a wide variety of critical issues including religious liberty, death penalty, criminal justice and partial birth abortion, just to name a few," said Kay Daly, president of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary. "This is a significant retirement and now all eyes will shift to what the President chooses to do in this critical moment in history."

"One thing is very clear given this retirement and the important cases facing this court in the next term who the President decides to nominate to this position could determine the future of jurisprudence in several critical arenas," said Daly. "To submit to the obstruction of a minority of Senators and leave this Court with a seat empty could mean several 4-4 decisions. Make no mistake - this is a historic moment for this President and for this nation."

The Coalition for a Fair Judiciary (www.fairjudiciary.com) is a 501(C)4 organization comprised of more than 75 grassroots organizations dedicated to supporting qualified, capable federal judicial nominees who are committed to fair and accurate interpretation of existing law. The Coalition focuses on all federal judicial nominees, including nominees to the Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, and the Supreme Court.