Sotomayor sidesteps question on whether court overstepped authority in property rights case

September 9th, 2009 Sonia Sotomayor jumps in to question lawyersWASHINGTON — Twenty minutes into her first argument as a Supreme Court justice, Sonia Sotomayor wasn't shy about taking on two legal heavyweights in an important case that could open a door to a flood of corporate campaign spending. First, Sotomayor went head-to-head with Theodore Olson, a prominent conservative who has argued 56 cases before the Supreme Court.

July 27th, 2009 GOP Sen. Sessions to oppose SotomayorWASHINGTON — The senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Monday he'll vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, siding with his party's leaders against the judge who's on a fast track to becoming the first Hispanic justice. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., weighed in on President Barack Obama's first high court choice the day before his panel is scheduled to vote on her nomination.

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 Firefighter denounces Sotomayor rulingWASHINGTON — A Connecticut firefighter who lost an appeals court ruling by Sonia Sotomayor has told a Senate panel that in his line of work, advancement has to be determined by skill and qualifications. Frank Ricci was among a group of white New Haven firefighters who were denied a promotion when city tossed out the results of an exam because not enough minorities had scored well enough to be promoted.

July 16th, 2009 Morgenthau praises Sotomayor for high courtWASHINGTON — Veteran New York district attorney Robert Morgenthau is praising one of his former assistants, Sonia Sotomayor, as someone who can be an "outstanding" member of the Supreme Court. Morgenthau told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday that as an assistant district attorney, Sotomayor understood the importance of every criminal case to the victim.

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 16th, 2009 Republicans keep citing Sotomayor firefighter caseWASHINGTON — Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee aren't letting go of the issue involving white firefighters from Connecticut who last month won a reverse discrimination case at the Supreme Court. With firefighter Frank Ricci ready to testify, Sen.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor vows to keep open mind in gun casesWASHINGTON — Sonia Sotoymayor is seeking to reassure senators that she would not take any "preconceived notions" about gun rights to the Supreme Court if confirmed as a justice. The 55-year-old Sotomayor told the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday that "one of my Godchildren is a member of the NRA.

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 Sui what? Legalese in Sotomayor hearing explainedWASHINGTON — What does a Latina judge from the Bronx have in common with a white male lawyer from Alabama? Latin and legalese. The ancient language of the law flows easily among practitioners, among them Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Alabama Sen.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor: Ruling in firefighter case was narrowWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has defended her ruling against white firefighters who accused the New Haven, Conn., government of engaging in reverse discrimination against them. At the prompting of Democratic Sen.

June 29th, 2009 White House: Court ruling shows nominee not biasedWASHINGTON — Spinning a Supreme Court decision in its favor, the White House said Monday that the justices' reversal of a ruling that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge proves that she follows judicial precedent. The high court ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race.

June 15th, 2009 High court steps into Fla. beach erosion disputeWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has stepped into a property-rights dispute over plans to rebuild eroded beaches on Florida's Gulf coast.

June 11th, 2009 Senator: Sotomayor accepts gun rights rulingWASHINGTON — A Democratic senator said Thursday that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor sees a 2008 ruling affirming Americans' right to own guns for self-defense as settled law. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said Sotomayor told him at a private meeting that she will work from the high court's decision in District of Columbia v.