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| − | '''Sandra Day O'Connor''' was the first woman [[Associate Justice]] ever appointed to the [[United States Supreme Court]]. A classmate and friend of then-Justice [[William Rehnquist]], O'Connor was appointed in 1981 by [[President of the United States|President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] and retired in 2006. Justices O'Connor and Rehnquist then frequently joined each other's opinions, with Rehnquist often obtaining O'Connor's support on his conservative opinions,<ref>''See, e.g.'', [[Dale v. Boy Scouts]] (2000) and [[United States v. Morrison]] (2000)</ref> and sometimes O'Connor persuading Rehnquist to support her on a more [[liberal]] opinion.<ref>''See, e.g.'', the FLMA case{{fact}} and [[Troxel v. Granville]] (2000).</ref> | + | '''Sandra Day O'Connor''' was the first woman [[Associate Justice]] ever appointed to the [[United States Supreme Court]]. A classmate and friend of then-Justice [[William Rehnquist]], O'Connor was appointed in 1981 by [[President of the United States|President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] to fulfill his campaign promise to appoint the first women to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]. Justices O'Connor and Rehnquist then frequently joined each other's opinions, with Rehnquist often obtaining O'Connor's support on his conservative opinions,<ref>''See, e.g.'', [[Dale v. Boy Scouts]] (2000) and [[United States v. Morrison]] (2000)</ref> and sometimes O'Connor persuading Rehnquist to support her on a more [[liberal]] opinion.<ref>''See, e.g.'', the FLMA case{{fact}} and [[Troxel v. Granville]] (2000).</ref> |
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| | Justice O'Connor, however, provided the pivotal 5th vote to the [[liberal]] wing of the Court in the important [[abortion]], [[affirmative action]], [[campaign finance]] and [[Establishment Clause]] cases. | | Justice O'Connor, however, provided the pivotal 5th vote to the [[liberal]] wing of the Court in the important [[abortion]], [[affirmative action]], [[campaign finance]] and [[Establishment Clause]] cases. |
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| − | She was replaced on the bench by [[Samuel Alito]].
| + | Justice O'Connor retired in June 2006, and was eventually replaced on the bench by [[Samuel Alito]]. |
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| | + | == Political Background == |
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| | + | Sandra Day O'Connor served in the Arizona state legislature and had a [[liberal]] voting record that included:<ref>''Phyllis Schlafly'', The Supremacists, pp. 216-217 (2006).</ref> |
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| | + | *On April 29, 1970, she voted Yes on H.B. 20, an abortion-on-demand bill, in the Senate Judiciary Committee. |
| | + | *On April 30, 1970, she voted Yes on the same bill in the Republican Majority Caucus (where the bill was defeated). |
| | + | *On April 23, 1974, she voted No in the Senate Judiciary Committee on a Right to Life Memorial asking Congress to extend constitutional protections to the unborn. |
| | + | *On Feb. 8, 1973, she co-sponsored the Family Planning Act (S.B. 1190) to provide "family planning," including abortions, to minors without parental consent. |
| | + | *In May 1974, she voted No on an amendment to prohibit abortions at the taxpayer-supported University of Arizona Hospital. |
| | + | *On March 23, 1972, she co-sponsored the Equal Rights Amendment (which Arizona consistently rejected). |
| | + | *On April 15, 1971, she succeeded in amending anti-pornography bills (H.B. 301 and 302) so that porn shops ("adult bookstores") could be 4,000 feet from schools and parks instead of at least a mile away. |
| | + | *In 1973, she sponsored Arizona’s no-fault divorce bill (h.b. 1007). |
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| | == References == | | == References == |