Betty Fletcher dies at the age of 89 on Tuesday and will be forever remembered as great liberal stalwart of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The cause of her death was not immediately available. Betty Fletcher was appointed to the bench by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, she was known for rulings upholding affirmative action, allowing claims of workplace discrimination to proceed, overturning death penalty cases and protecting the environment.
She was one of the first female partners at a major law firm in the country, and the second woman appointed to the 9th Circuit.
Two of her children, William and Susan, followed in their mother's footsteps and became lawyers. Today, William Fletcher is also a 9th Circuit justice. After her son joined the 9th Circuit bench, Fletcher took senior status.
She was one of the embattled liberals on the court, fighting for the little guy, whether it was for immigration or the planet," her son, Paul Fletcher, a Seattle physician, said according to the Associated Press. "She felt she was fighting a very important battle.
