The Pragmatic Middle and Its Consequences: The Influence of Justice O’Connor

• Published in: The Supreme Court and the Development of Law pp. 109 - 128
• Main Author: Smith, Christopher E
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States Palgrave Macmillan 2016; Palgrave Macmillan US
• Subjects: Crime & criminology; Prisoners’ rights; Sandra O’Connor; Supreme Court

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor sought to insure that prison officials’ interests in security and order were protected as she recognized limited constitutional rights for prisoners. Her pragmatic position was not driven by a particular judicial philosophy. As the middle justice in a frequently divided C...