On Friday, December 1, it was announced that Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman Supreme Court Justice, passed away at the age of 93 (via CNBC News). While there is yet to be seen a cause of death in certification, in a public statement, the Supreme Court announced that her death was likely due to complications from advanced dementia potentially combined with a respiratory illness. The Supreme Court further speculated that O’Connors advanced dementia diagnosis may have more specifically been related to Alzheimer’s disease, the same cause of death of her husband John Jay O’Connor III, who passed away in 2009, The New York Times reported.
“We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education,” pronounced Chief Justice John Roberts in a public statement. O’Connor’s spent nearly 25 years serving on the Supreme Court from when she was first appointed by former President Ronald Regain in 1981 until she retired in 2006, after which time she continued to advocate for civic learning and judicial independence as well as spend time with her family.
More to come…
