O’Connor Asks Restrictions on Federal Civil Rights Suits

WASHINGTON (AP) – Judge Sandra O’Connor, by President Reagan for a Supreme Court ,eat. bas suggested that Congress act to restrict the Dumber of federal civil rights suits against states and munidpallties. In an article in the summer 1981 issue of the William and Mary Law Review, O’Connor suggested that federal courts should defer to state courts in IOme cases on constitutional questions. She also noted “acute confrontations” between ltate and federal courts in some school busing cases and said tensions between the two judicial systems could increase in some areas. The 51-year-old Arizona appeals court judge wrote the article before Tuesday’s announcement of lier nomination to the Supreme Court, which must be confirmed by the senate. O’Connor’s nomination bas come under heavy attack from conservative and anti-abortion groups, for what they perceive to be ber stands on abortion and the proposed Equal Rights Amendment They argue that Reagan betrayed th em by lelecting O’Connor for the court. HOWEVER, her statements in the article re nect • conservattve theme shared by the president: the move to give states more freedom from the federal aovernment. “It is a step in the right direction to defer to the courts and give finality to their judgments on ral constitutional questions where a full and fair udication bas been given in the state court,” ‘Connor wrote in the article, titled “trends in the tionship Between the Federal and State Courts m the Perspective of a State Court Judge.”