The late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will lie in repose at the court in Washington on Monday, preceding her scheduled funeral on Tuesday.
A private ceremony was held Monday morning and was followed by designated public hours for visitors to express their condolences, according to an announcement by the high court. O’Connor died on Dec. 1 at the age of 93 from complications associated with dementia and a respiratory illness.
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Her casket was placed in the Great Hall on the Lincoln Catafalque, which was loaned to the Supreme Court by Congress for this ceremony. A portrait of O’Connor from 1999 is on display for the ceremony, which was streamed by C-SPAN starting at 9:30 a.m.
“We are here today to mark the passing of a truly remarkable person,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said during a tribute speech.
“To honor and remember Sandra not only for her work as a judge but for her humanity, leadership, determination, and vision,” she added, giving thanks to O’Connor’s family.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor: “I thank the Chief Justice and the O’Connor family for this privilege of speaking today in honor of my life role model Sandra Day O’Connor.” #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/GODOlCJ0lf
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 18, 2023
Members of the public are invited to pay their respects from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The line will form on the sidewalk in front of the high court on the East Capitol Street side, and the public will enter the building through the visitor entrance.
In 1981, O’Connor joined the court, making history as the first woman to hold the position of Supreme Court justice. Her tenure extended until her retirement in 2006, during which her centrist stance often positioned her as a pivotal vote on significant topics such as abortion, affirmative action, and voting rights.
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President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks at the private funeral on Tuesday at the National Cathedral in Washington. A livestream of the service will be available at cathedral.org.
The National Cathedral is also where O’Connor regularly attended for worship and served for eight years on the cathedral’s governing board during her tenure on the Supreme Court.
