O’Connor Explains How Ranch Work Influenced Her Judging
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor says her judicial opinions were more about sturdy principles than beautiful writing, a style influenced by her childhood at an Arizona ranch.
O’Connor commented during a speech on the destructive influence of money in judicial elections on Friday at the University of Minnesota, the Rochester Democrat reported. She fielded a few questions at the event, including one about how her upbringing on the Lazy B ranch influenced her as a judge.
“On a ranch, it doesn’t matter your color or gender, but there’s a certain amount of work to be done,” she said. If the work is not up to stuff, you will hear about it, the Rochester Democrat reported.
On a ranch, she said, solutions to problems often aren’t elegant but they are serviceable. She sees a connection to her court opinions. “Maybe some of the things I said weren’t beautiful,” she said, but she hopes the principles are sturdy.
The writer said O’Connor has a “staid appearance” in formal photographs that often show her wearing a frilly neck scarf. “In person, her voice has a gentle western twang and she projects down-home warmth,” the article says.
O’Connor recently co-wrote a memoir with her brother about their childhood on the ranch, titled Lazy B.
Updated at 2:33 p.m. to include link to Rochester Democrat coverage.
