O’Connor announces dementia diagnosis

Ex-Supreme Court justice says she’s leaving public life

WASHINGTON — Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor says she has been diagnosed with dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease, and is stepping away from public activities.

The 88-year-old O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, said in an open letter released by the court Tuesday that doctors diagnosed her “some time ago” with the beginning stages of dementia.

“As this condition has progressed, I am no longer able to participate in public life,” she wrote. “Since many people have asked about my current status and activities, I want to be open about these changes, and while I am still able, share some personal thoughts.”

O’Connor was appointed in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan. She retired in 2006, in part to care for her husband, John, who had Alzheimer’s disease. He died in 2009.

Chief Justice John Roberts called O’Connor “a towering figure in the history of the United States and indeed the world.”

“Although she has announced that she is withdrawing from public life, no illness or condition can take away the inspiration she provides for those who will follow the many paths she has blazed,” Roberts said in a statement.

In the years since her retirement, O’Connor has focused on promoting civic learning.

“I can no longer help lead this cause, due to my physical condition,” O’Connor said in her letter. “It is time for new leaders to make civic learning and civic engagement a reality for all.”