The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.

In 1975 Sandra Day O'Connor was elected to the Maricopa County Superior Court and in 1979 was elevated to the Arizona State Court of Appeals. In a 1983 opinion upholding searches by drug-sniffing dogs Sandra Day O'Connor recognized that a search is most likely to be considered constitutionally reasonable if it is very effective at discovering contraband without revealing innocent but embarrassing information. O'Connor continues to make semi-regular visits to the college.

Samuel Alito was nominated to take her seat in October 2005 and joined the Court on January 31 2006. Several publications have named O'Connor among the most powerful women in the world.