|
July 14, 2009 Supreme Court nominee denies biasPosted: 02:21 PM ET
NEW YORK – Judge Sonia Sotomayor is getting the opportunity to convey her judicial philosophy as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee begin grilling the Supreme Court nominee on the second day of her confirmation hearings.
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor answers Senate Judiciary Committee questions Sotomayor wasted no time in attempting to expound on her comments that a wise Latina would come to a better judgment on the bench than a white male without the same life experience. "I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences," said Sotomayor. The ranking Republican on the committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, from Alabama, pressed Sotomayor on her impartiality, “I just am very concerned that what you're saying today is quite inconsistent with your statement that you willingly accept that your sympathies, opinions and prejudices may influence your decision-making.” Sotomayor addressed her ruling in the reverse discrimination case filed by white firefighters in New Haven, Conn. - overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court - by explaining that it was about an examination for the firefighters, "not about quotas, not about affirmative action." Concerning privacy rights and Roe versus Wade, Sotomayor said Tuesday she considers "all precedents of the Supreme Court" settled law. The divisive issue led to four anti-abortion activists being thrown out of the hearing yesterday. On gun rights, Sotomayor told the committee that she has a Godchild who is a member of the NRA and would not take any "preconceived notions" to the high court if confirmed. The hearing is expected to wrap up Thursday and a Senate vote should take place within a couple of weeks. There's word on Capitol Hill that some Republican senators will begin backing Sotomayor, but regardless, the Democratic majority makes it likely that Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court, unless as Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican from South Carolina, said, she has a "complete meltdown." Stay tuned to In Session’s coverage of the hearings with Fred Graham live from Capitol Hill this week. -Bob Regan, In Session senior executive producer Filed under: Supreme Court |
Contact us
Recent Posts
In Session Team
Archive
Categories
|
Loading weather data ...