O'Connor to Retire From Supreme Court (Confirmation of Earlier Rumors; NEW INFO)

Washington Post ^ | 7/01/2005 | AP?Gina holland

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

WASHINGTON -- Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court and a key swing vote on issues such as abortion and the death penalty, said Friday she is retiring.

O'Connor, 75, said she expects to leave before the start of the court's next term in October, or whenever the Senate confirms her successor. There was no immediate word from the White House on who might be nominated to replace O'Connor.

It's been 11 years since the last opening on the court, one of the longest uninterrupted stretches in history. O'Connor's decision gives Bush his first opportunity to appoint a justice.

[JLS]

I see you are under the naive impression that the only thing the Dims can do to delay is to filibuster. I promise you without the deal those judges would in fact not be confirmed as we type.

[Republican Wildcat]

Actually...no...O'Connor has sided with the conservatives on the most recent rulings with Anthony Kennedy swinging to the left. The eminent domain case is a good example of this - Kennedy joined the liberal wing and O'Connor authored the dissent.