Why judges matter -- Part CXIV

From today's New York Times, concerning a capital punishment case just decided by the Supreme Court:

There were indications that Justice O'Connor had changed sides in the five months the case was under consideration, enabling Justice Souter to convert a dissenting opinion into an opinion for the court.

Reagan made history in many ways. Appointing O'Connor as the first female Supreme Court justice should not have been one of those ways.