Police chiefs’ endorsement gives Sotomayor backing of major law-enforcement groups

August 6th, 2009 Obama hails confirmation of SotomayorWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is lauding the barrier-breaking confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. Said the president: "With this historic vote, the Senate has affirmed that Justice Sotomayor has the intellect, the temperament, the history, the integrity and the independence of mind to ably serve on our nation's highest court." Sotomayor will be sworn in on Saturday and appear with Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

July 27th, 2009 Grassley to oppose SotomayorWASHINGTON — The No. 2 Republican on the Judiciary Committee says he'll vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

July 23rd, 2009 NRA steps up Sotomayor fight as Chamber backs herWASHINGTON — The NRA stepped up its push Thursday against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, warning that backers risk losing ground with gun rights supporters, even as a powerful business lobby came out in support of President Barack Obama's first high court nominee. The promise by the National Rifle Association, which announced its opposition to Sotomayor last week, to include the vote on her nomination in its influential annual ratings of lawmakers is highly unlikely to prevent Sotomayor from being confirmed in early August.

July 23rd, 2009 Chamber backs Sotomayor as she meets with GOPWASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is endorsing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor (SOHN'-ya soh-toh-my-YOR'), calling her a well-qualified judge who would be fair and evenhanded on business issues.

July 21st, 2009 Abortion rights group endorses Sotomayor for courtWASHINGTON — The abortion rights group NARAL ProChoice America says it's endorsing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. NARAL says Sotomayor's (SUHN'-ya soh-toh-my-YOR') testimony during her confirmation hearings shows President Barack Obama's first high court choice is a stronger supporter of privacy rights than either Chief Justice John Roberts or Justice Samuel Alito, the previous two nominees.

July 16th, 2009 Sotomayor defies Coburn on gun rights argumentWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor bluntly told a Republican senator there was no way she would say in the setting of a congressional hearing just how she'd rule on an important constitutional question. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma pressed Sotomayor for the second day in a row to say under what circumstances she might accept — or rule — that there is a "fundamental" right to bear arms, as opposed to an "individual," or less pervasive, right.

July 16th, 2009 Sotomayor can get by on justice's payWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says she's lived on a judge's salary for 17 years, and she can, in her words, "suffer through more of it." Supreme Court justices make a little more than $200,000 a year. Sotomayor was responding Thursday to questions from Republican Sen.

July 16th, 2009 Graham talking more positively about SotomayorWASHINGTON — A Republican critic of Sonia Sotomayor says he's feeling more comfortable about her going to the Supreme Court, saying he hopes she won't let personal opinions drive her rulings. In an exchange with Sotomayor, Sen.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor passes on chance to rate justicesWASHINGTON — Given a chance to say Tuesday which current Supreme Court justice or justices she most admires, Sonia Sotomayor took a pass. Answering a question from Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl, the 55-year-old Sotomayor declared: "To suggest that I admire one of the sitting Supreme Court justices would suggest that I think of myself as a clone of one of the judges.

July 14th, 2009 Protester removed from Sotomayor hearingWASHINGTON — An anti-abortion activist has been removed from Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court confirmation hearing, the fifth demonstrator to disrupt the proceedings in two days. It took a half-dozen Capitol Police officers to remove the struggling protester from the hearing room Tuesday after he yelled, "She's a baby killer." Four protesters were arrested Monday and charged with unlawful conduct-disruption of Congress.

July 13th, 2009 Sotomayor arrives for hearingWASHINGTON — Sonia Sotomayor has arrived for her Senate Supreme Court confirmation hearing. As the week of hearings begins, Republicans and Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are renewing their debate over her qualifications to render justice impartially.

July 12th, 2009 GOP: Sotomayor must assure she can be neutralWASHINGTON — Two Republican senators on Sunday said they will press Sonia Sotomayor at her Supreme Court confirmation hearings this week to explain public comments that they say raise doubts about her ability to judge cases fairly. Yet the GOP is unlikely to be able to derail Sotomayor's confirmation in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and Republicans acknowledged they must be careful in their approach to the veteran federal judge who rose from poverty in a New York City public housing project to the verge of being the first Hispanic justice on the high court.

July 12th, 2009 Sessions: Sotomayor must show she can be neutralWASHINGTON — The senior Republican senator who will question Sonia Sotomayor says the Supreme Court nominee must demonstrate she will not show bias on the bench. Alabama Sen.

June 23rd, 2009 Senate GOP: Will Sotomayor uphold Constitution?WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are questioning whether Judge Sonia Sotomayor could be counted upon to uphold the Constitution on the Supreme Court. In multiple floor speeches Tuesday and later in a closed lunch of GOP senators, Republicans said they want to hear more about whether she would uphold constitutional amendments guaranteeing equal protection under the law and the right to keep and bear arms, as well as whether the government can freely take land from one person and give it to another.

June 9th, 2009 Law enforcement groups endorse SotomayorWASHINGTON — Eight national law enforcement organizations are endorsing President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The groups announced their support for the judge at the White House.