O'Connor Steps Down from U.S. Supreme Court

July 1, 2005 — -- Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, is retiring after nearly 24 years as an associate justice.

In a letter to President Bush, O'Connor, 75, said her resignation would take effect upon the confirmation of her successor.

"It has been a great privilege, indeed, to have served as a member of the court for 24 terms," she wrote. "I will leave it with enormous respect for the integrity of the court and its role under our constitutional structure."

In another statement, O'Connor said she looks forward to spending more time with her husband, who reportedly has Alzheimer's disease.

O'Connor's retirement could start to shift the court's vote on key issues including abortion, affirmative action and the death penalty for the mentally retarded, analysts said, because O'Connor has cast key votes in recent cases on those and other issues.

Bush said this morning that he would have a nominee ready in time for Senate confirmation before the next Supreme Court term begins in the fall.

"The nation deserves, and I will select, a Supreme Court justice that Americans can be proud of," Bush said. "The nation also deserves a dignified process of confirmation in the United States Senate, characterized by fair treatment, a fair hearing and a fair vote."

He added: "America is proud of Justice O'Connor's distinguished service, and I'm proud to know her."

Considered a conservative at the time of her nomination by President Reagan in July 1981, O'Connor's subtle shift to the center enhanced her influence on the court and solidified her position as one of the most powerful women of her time.

A Supreme Court justice since Sept. 25, 1981, O'Connor's influence has been felt on issues ranging from abortion and affirmative action, to sexual harassment and terrorism.

"She had a very aggressive view of the role of the courts as instruments of social justice and national policy," said Jeffrey Rosen of the George Washington University Law School. "She saw the court in general, and herself in particular, as the appropriate body to decide all these contested questions of national policy."