Sotomayor Hearing Day 1 Wrap-up

Judge Sotomayor’s moving and thoughtful opening statement promises more insight to come from the judge as the questioning gets under way. Like her record, Judge Sotomayor’s statement reflects a commitment to the rule of law and core constitutional values.

After giving her own personal history Judge Sotomayor summarized her transition to working as a judge:

My career as an advocate ended—and my career as a judge began—when I was
appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the United States District Court for
the Southern District of New York. As a trial judge, I decided over four
hundred and fifty cases, and presided over dozens of trials, with perhaps my
best known case involving the Major League Baseball strike in 1995.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is in recess until tomorrow morning at 9:30 am when senators will get their chance to ask Sotomayor questions directly. Tomorrow may bring more surprises than today, which was limited to opening statements. There were a few short outbursts, however, which goes to show that the hearing for the first Latina Supreme Court nominee is not immune to protest.