Norwood News

On May 26, 2009 President Barack Obama made history once again by nominating Bronxite Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

If confirmed — and Bronx elected officials are pressing hard for a swift and pain-free confirmation process — she would not only be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, but she would also be the first Bronx-native and just the third female in Supreme Court history.

Sotomayor was born and raised in the Bronxdale housing projects in Soundview. She attended Cardinal Hayes High School.

Due to hard work, support from her mother, and some help from affirmative action policies, Sotomayor was able to succeed at high profile Ivy League schools. She attended Princeton University as an undergraduate and went on to law school at Yale University.

After spending years as prosecutor and litigator, Sotomayor was confirmed as judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1998. Since then, Judge Sotomayor has controversially admitted that her ethnicity and gender affect her judgment process.

Judge Sotomayor’s best-known decision took place in 1995 when she ruled against the Major League Baseball owners and successfully ended an eight-month long baseball strike.

In another noteworthy case, Sotomayor recently ruled against white Connecticut firefighters who said they were passed over for promotion in favor of minority candidates. This case is currently on trial at the Supreme Court. Sotomayor’s controversial ruling against the white firefighters is the root of some of her steepest criticism.

Sotomayor has many years of experience as a judge, but she has yet to rule on controversial topics such as abortion, national security, the death penalty and gay rights. Although many Republicans have criticized her for being a liberal, Sotomayor’s court rulings paint her as a moderate.

Republican critics are focusing on testaments of Sotomayor’s harsh demeanor in the courtroom while liberal critics are concentrating on the fact that the judge is not a definite leftist.

Despite critiques from both sides of the political spectrum, Bronx politicians have openly provided an overwhelming amount of support for Sotomayor. Congressman José E. Serrano, who knows Sotomayor well, voiced his belief that the Supreme Court needs a Justice as experienced and fair as Sotomayor. In a statement, he further stated that Sotomayor is an inspiration for the Bronx and he is positive that she will be confirmed shortly.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. recently held a press conference outside of Sotomayor’s old Bronxdale home urging the Senate to confirm Sotomayor quickly. Other Bronx politicians such as Assemblyman José Rivera have also come out to applaud Sotomayor for her triumphant nomination.