Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Retires

Yesterday, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired after 24 terms on the court at the age of 75. She was the first woman to serve on the high court and she often was the critical swing vote on a variety of controversial issues, such as abortion, affirmative action, the Ten Commandment display,the death penality and the Bush v. Gore case that gave President Bush the presidency in 2000.



Politically, O'Connor was a moderate conservative, so she often was the swing vote on most issues, voting multiple times with either block, the liberal and conservative side of the court. Possible nominees for the vacated position are Judges J. Harvie Wilkinson III and J. Michael Luttig of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va.; Judge John G. Roberts Jr., who sits on the appeals court based in Washington; and Judge Michael W. McConnell of the Tenth Circuit, who sits in Salt Lake City.

Regardless of your political beliefs, whomever Bush nominates to replace O'Connor could radically affect how laws are applied. If he selects an ultra-conservative, the balance of the court could shift and current abortion laws could be circumscribed and affirmative action could be limited. If Bush nominates an ultra-liberal (not likely), then the opposite of what I wrote could happened. Hopefully, Bush will nominate a moderate like O'Connor who will serve as a swing vote for both sides. After all, I'd imagine that a majority of Americans are moderates, and we need a court that represent the moderate block of America. For more information on Justice O'Connor visit The New York Times.