On Monday, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor returned to Washington to lay in repose in the Great Hall of the U.S. Supreme Court building. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who referred to O’Connor as her life role model, lauded the late Justice’s extraordinary efforts directed towards creating a better world.
Sotomayor celebrated O’Connor’s practical and thoughtful approach to cases, her active engagement with society’s realities, and her consistent focus on how the law affected ordinary people. Mark Walsh of SCOTUSblog reported that every sitting member of the court, retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, and several spouses and family members of the justices were also present for the somber ceremony.
Justice O’Connor’s three sons, along with their wives and O’Connor’s seven grandchildren, remained present throughout the ceremony as the late Justice’s casket was moved into the court building and onto the Lincoln Catafalque – a platform constructed in 1865 to support the late President Lincoln’s casket while his body lay in state. The Supreme Court police force honor guard escorted the procession.
The Rev. Jane Fahey paid a heartfelt tribute to O’Connor who she served as a law clerk in the 1982-83 term. She remembered O’Connor not only as a trusted court colleague but also as a cherished mentor, friend, and trailblazing inspiration to many.
Furthermore, Justice Sotomayor emphasized O’Connor’s dedication towards improving civic education. She drew attention to O’Connor’s belief in the importance of imparting civic education to the younger generation as a means to preserve the democracy.
Sotomayor concluded her tribute by referring to O’Connor’s wishes for her epitaph to read, “Here lies a good judge.” A sentiment to which Sotomayor concurred, additionally rendering praise for O’Connor’s remarkable role as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and above all, an extraordinary human being.
Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, also visited the court to pay their respects later in the morning.
A private funeral ceremony for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is scheduled to take place at Washington’s National Cathedral on Tuesday morning.