With great intellect like that </sarcasm_dripping>, how in the hell was she ever a Supreme Lawgiver-In-Black? Perhaps this press release from the DC US Attorney's office could shed some light on why the staff analyzed the cookies:
The government's evidence established that on or about April 22, 2005, Barbara Joan March mailed 14 threatening letters, each containing either a baked good or a piece of candy laced with rat poison to each of the Supreme Court Justices, the Director and Deputy Director of the FBI, and the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force, at addresses in Washington, D.C. Each envelope contained a one-page typewritten letter stating, either "I am" or "We are," followed by "going to kill you. This is poisoned."Well, duh! When the letter sent with the cookies threatens death to the recipients, why would the staff NOT test the cookies? Then again, O'Connor could be the real-life Poison Ivy, immune to poisons.
So with only a simple note stating that the cookies were poisoned the staff decided to have them tested? I'm impressed.