Sotomayor Is First Latina On U.S. Supreme Court

New York Amsterdam News › October 14, 2009

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Summary

The excitement over President Barack Obama's May 26 nomination of Judge [Sonia Maria Sotomayor] to the U.S. Supreme Court has never really waned in the U.S. His- panic community. When she appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington to answer hard-hitting questions about why she should serve on the court, many coordinated "watch par- ties" so that people of all ages could share in the moment - they sat together and cheered as Sotomayor answered questions about her legal opinions.

"I evaluate judicial nominees by focusing on qualifications, which include not only legal experience but, more importantly, judicial philosophy," Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told his Senate colleagues. "Judge Sotomayor's approach to judging is more important to me than her resume."

One of the most prominent claims is that because she served on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sotomayor has emphasized her Latino heritage first and become less colorblind. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) noted that Sotomayor's nomination is "a historic and proud moment for Latinos and the country as a whole. But her ethnicity has proven too much of a temptation for the voices of hate and extremism, who instead of looking at her judicial record have launched a vocal rampage that has reached new heights of absurdity."

In several cases she has clearly ignored precedent or. cited precedent that did not apply to the facts at hand, and I believe she let her personal beliefs cloud her judgment. . . .[...] I am unable to support her nomination to the Supreme Court.

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Extract

Sotomayor Is First Latina On U.S. Supreme Court

If the Senate's vote goes as expected, Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be the next sitting associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Bronx-born Sonia Maria Sotomayor, a daughter of Puerto Rican parents who was raised in the Bro...

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