Excerpts of Supreme Court opinions by Sandra Day O’Connor

By The Associated Press

Sandra Day O’Connor’s influence could best be seen in the Supreme Court’s court’s rulings on abortion. In one such decision, she balked at letting states outlaw most abortions, refusing in 1989 to join four other justices who were ready to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that said women have a constitutional right to abortion. But her impact went well beyond that issue. O’Connor generally favored states in disputes with the federal government. In other rulings, she often sided with police when they faced claims of violating people’s rights. She died Friday in Phoenix.