PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Dec. 14, 2023
Contact: Alisa Bousa, Public Information Officer
Alisa.Bousa@ujs.state.sd.us | 605.773.2031
South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice to Attend Private Funeral Service for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
PIERRE, S.D.— South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen will attend a funeral service for retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Justice O’Connor, the first female U.S. Supreme Court justice, died on Dec. 1, 2023, at the age of 93 in Phoenix.
Chief Justice Jensen, a member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices, was invited to attend the service to honor Justice O’Connor’s legacy of service to the state courts across the country. The service will be livestreamed, and a public viewing will follow the service.
O’Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and retired more than two decades later, in 2006. Before being appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, O’Connor served as a state trial court judge and appellate judge in Arizona. She was always an advocate for the state courts during her time on the U.S. Supreme Court and after she retired.
The Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) provides an opportunity for the highest judicial officers of the states to meet and discuss matters of importance in improving the administration of justice, rules and methods of procedure, and the organization and operation of state courts and judicial systems, and to make recommendations and bring about improvements on such matters.
—30—
About South Dakota Courts: The Unified Judicial System (UJS) consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and State Court Administrator’s Office. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and final decision maker on South Dakota law. The Circuit Courts are the state’s trial courts where criminal proceedings and civil litigation are handled. The State Court Administrator’s Office provides centralized administrative assistance and support services for the South Dakota judiciary. Learn more at https://ujs.sd.gov.