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Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor Quotes

Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Sandra Day O'Connor, born on March 26, 1930, is a notable former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and is recognized for her conservative judicial philosophy and significant contributions to landmark decisions.

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Famous Sandra Day O'Connor Quotes

“The Constitution does not protect the sovereignty of States for the benefit of the States or state governments as abstract political entities, or even for the benefit of the public officials governing the States. To the contrary, the Constitution divides authority between federal and state governments for the protection of individuals.”

“What the framers of the Constitution tried to achieve when they wrote that Constitution back in the 1700s was an independent federal judiciary. They wanted federal judges to be appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and to serve for good behavior.”

Wanted President Achieve Advice Judging Behavior Constitution Independent Senate Consent Judiciary Framers Good Behavior Federal Judges

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“The fact is that knowledge about the Constitution and the Court is not something that is handed down through the gene pool; every generation has to learn it. And I'm not sure the recent generations have done that good a job of learning about it.”

Done Constitution Not Sure Pool

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“It is a measure of the framers' fear that a passing majority might find it expedient to compromise 4th Amendment values that these values were embodied in the Constitution itself.”

Might Values Politics Constitution Majority Passing Passings Compromise Amendments Framers

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“I sort of thought the framers of the Constitution were talking about the rights of individuals, not corporate entities.”

Individual Talking Rights Constitution Corporate Entity Framers

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“I tried to decide each case based on the law and the Constitution.”

Law Cases Constitution

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“The framers of the Constitution were so clear in the federalist papers and elsewhere that they felt an independent judiciary was critical to the success of the nation.”

Nations Felt Clear Paper Constitution Independent Critical Elsewhere Papers Judiciary Federalist Federalist Papers Framers Independent Judiciary

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“Apparently a great many people have forgotten that the framers of our Constitution went to such great effort to create an independent judicial branch that would not be subject to retaliation by either the executive branch or the legislative branch because of some decision made by those judges.”

“It matters enormously to a successful democratic society like ours that we have three branches of government, each with some independence and some control over the other two. Thats set out in the Constitution.”

Two Matter Government Three Successful Constitution Independence Democratic Branches Democratic Society Branches Of Government Three Branches Of Government

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

“If you take a position under the Constitution that is against the majority view, you have to explain it well enough that maybe you can persuade some of that majority to agree with you.”

Ifs Wells Enough Views Position Constitution Agree Majority

Author:Sandra Day O'Connor

About the Author

Born: March 26, 1930
Known for: Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Quotes: 116

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