Associate Justice to the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor visited ASU to participate in the annual John P. Frank Memorial Lecture on Jan. 23 and shared her experiences and struggles with the crowd.
“Certain people don’t have an understanding of what makes America great," Sotomayor said in response to a question she received about her struggles as a Latina woman, law student and Supreme Court justice.
Sotomayor was former President Barack Obama’s first Supreme Court nomination, filling the seat vacated by Associate Justice David Souter’s retirement. Her tenure on the Supreme Court has reflected the president who appointed her, serving as a firm liberal voice on the court.
"I think she’s a great justice, and I think she’s going to continue working hard on behalf of the American people," Maria Dooling, a biomedical engineering sophomore, said. “She made it a point to say no one should be just liberal or conservative on any issue, and yet it was clear what she felt on some things."
Typically, Sotomayor votes in a bloc consisting of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer. However, Sotomayor said that this is not always the case.
“Last year, Justice Alito, Justice Thomas and I agreed on something," Sotomayor said.
Sotomayor is the first Latina justice to serve on the Supreme Court. Her appointment was one of Obama’s first major personnel decisions during his administration.
However, Sotomayor says that it is highly unlikely the Supreme Court will be a bastion of diversity.
Sotomayor also spoke to the current vacancy on the court stemming from former Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in early 2016. Though the death occurred during the final year of the Obama administration, no confirmation hearing was given to Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland
"Look at a nominees values, and ask if this is a person worthy of judging another human being,” Sotomayor said. “Any self-respecting judge that comes in with an agenda is the kind of person you don’t want as a judge."
Alex Baker, a data analytics sophomore and member of the ASU Young Democrats, said, “From an administrative and logistical standpoint, having all the seats filled versus a perennial vacancy is less of a bad idea. If Trump offers up a Garland or an Anthony Kennedy, it makes sense."
However, with a Republican-majority Senate and a Republican in the White House, many think the next justice will be a conservative voice. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has stated that he hopes a moderate voice who can receive bipartisan support is nominated.
Reach the reporter at rcloughl@asu.edu and follow @CloughleyRyan on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
