Sotomayor tells Senate panel she would not take preconceived notions into gun cases on court

August 6th, 2009 Senate sets Thursday vote on SotomayorWASHINGTON — The Senate has agreed to vote Thursday on confirming Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. The historic vote on President Barack Obama's first high court nominee will take place in midafternoon.

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.

August 3rd, 2009 Democratic Sen. Nelson to support SotomayorWASHINGTON — Democratic Sen.

July 21st, 2009 GOP Sen. Collins to support Sotomayor for courtWASHINGTON — An aide to Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says Collins will vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

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 Democrats to set first Sotomayor vote next weekWASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman says he'll set a vote in his panel next week on confirming Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy says the vote will be Tuesday unless committee Republicans object.

July 16th, 2009 Sotomayor testimony completedWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has completed three days of answering questions before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The panel's top Republican, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, said he expects a Senate floor vote to come before the August recess.

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 15th, 2009 Sotomayor refers to precedent on abortionWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is shedding no additional light on her views on abortion, despite persistent questioning from one of the Senate's staunchest abortion opponents. Sotomayor referred to Supreme Court cases establishing that women have a constitutional right to abortions in some circumstances and that the high court must consider whether state regulations pose an undue burden on that right.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor vows to use even hand in judging casesWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has vowed to not let her personal views affect how she would rule on cases from the nation's highest court. In an exchange with the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, Sotomayor said she believes comments she has made about the value of life's experiences have been misinterpreted by her critics.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor: 'Open mind' key to effective judgingWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she believes it's important that judges keep "an open mind" about cases before them. On Day 2 of her confirmation hearings, the native of South Bronx got to answer senators' questions for the first time publicly about what style she would bring to the nation's highest court.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor questioned about terror suspectsWASHINGTON — A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee appears to be trying to determine how Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor might rule in cases involving U.S. treatment of terror suspects.

July 13th, 2009 Sessions gives Sotomayor tough greeting at hearingWASHINGTON — The top-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee has greeted Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor with skepticism. Sen. Jeff Sessions on Monday cited Sotomayor's much-publicized remarks about the notion that a "wise Latina" woman might be better suited than a white male without the same life experiences.

July 12th, 2009 Cornyn: Sotomayor must explain 'Latina' remarkWASHINGTON — A top Senate Republican says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will have to explain statements suggesting that judges can't be neutral, but he also acknowledges that her confirmation as the high court's first Hispanic justice won't be blocked. Texas Sen. John Cornyn tells "Fox News Sunday" that he and other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee plan to ask Sotomayor about her comment in 2001 that she hoped a "wise Latina" would often reach better conclusions than a white male without similar experiences.

July 12th, 2009 Obama phones Sotomayor on eve of hearingsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has called his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, to wish her luck at her confirmation hearings. The White House says Obama called the appellate court judge from the Oval Office on Sunday.