Sandra Day O’Connor

* Alan Dershowitz thinks we need to find a way to police the motives of Supreme Court justices for voting the way they do (Commentary, Dec. 28). Because Justice Sandra Day O’Connor expressed a private opinion that she wants to retire and prefers that a Republican president nominate her replacement, Dershowitz is sure her vote with the majority of justices was not her honest interpretation of the Constitution and federal law. He wants law clerks to report on private discussions with the justices: “Their primary obligation is to disclose such improprieties to the proper authorities.” And this man teaches law students!

So let’s call out the hounds of hell and use law clerks and associates to question the motives of every Supreme Court justice. Has any justice ever expressed a private political view to anyone? If so, how can we trust his or her judgment?

MICHAEL SMITH

Mission Viejo

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The revelation of O’Connor’s panicked reaction upon hearing the early projection of Al Gore’s winning Florida and the reason for her dread must be considered. Together with Justice Antonin Scalia’s prediction [when the Supreme Court stopped the Florida recount on Dec. 9] that the Democrats would lose their fight against the Republican recount appeal, this should be more than enough grounds for a thorough examination of the Supreme Court and how such a once-esteemed institution has stooped as low as it has.

MICHAEL MARKS

Los Angeles

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Justice O’Connor spoke about the need for people to mark their ballots cleanly. In the polling place where I worked as assistant inspector on election day, four out of the eight Votomatic machines were stuck and inoperative by 10 a.m. We called the registrar of voters to come and fix our machines. O’Connor has hastily judged others as incompetent. Then she hastily voted for the cessation of the vote count in Florida based on the equal protection rule.

The blatant inconsistency here is that there is nothing equal about voting procedures all over this country. Maybe she is unclear about this, as she is unclear about Votomatic machines. She does appear clear about her desire to retire, yet she did not recuse herself, because she is clearly above the law.

Every taxpayer in this country should demand that Congress and the “president-select,” George W. Bush, use whatever tax surplus the government has to make voting across this country modern and equal. That would be equal protection.

MELISA MORIARTY

San Diego