Rep. Charles Gonzalez says the Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote a letter to President Barack Obama on April 29, requesting that he consider the appointing a Latino in the event of a vacancy on the Supreme Cout. He says the President responded that he would consider two things in seeking appointments at all levels, excellence and diversity. On May 1, Justice David Souter announced his resignation. Gonzalez says there was no compromise in seeking both excellence and diversity when the President nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor. (0:52)

 

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Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) spoke out Tuesday in favor of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination. Menendez says Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court is proof that the American dream is within reach for everyone who is “willing to work hard, play by the rules, and give back to their communities, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or social economic background.” Menendez noted that it shows further proof of the deep roots the Hispanic community in the U.S. (0:12)

 

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By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) spoke out Tuesday in support of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination. Menendez was joined by representatives from the National Latino Peace Officers Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association. The focus of the discussion was Sotomayor’s strong commitment to equality, justice and law enforcement.

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear, we get to be proud of this nominee because she is exceptionally qualified, first and foremost. We get to be proud of her vast knowledge of the law, her practical experience fighting crime and her proven record of dedication to equal justice under the law,” said Menendez.

He said that he is proud to have the opportunity to cast a vote in support of President Obama’s nomination of Sotomayor and he believes she is clearly the right person for the job.

The law enforcement officials who spoke emphasized her work in the fight against crime. Menendez noted that there are many different professional dimensions to Sotomayor’s experience and her commitment to law enforcement is just one aspect. The Senator said all of Sotomayor’s qualities will be highlighted during the confirmation period.

Said Chief Art Acevedo, the President of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, “One of the things that impresses law enforcement about the Judge is the fact that she has worked on the streets in the front line seeing first hand as a prosecutor in New York the challenges faced by the communities we serve, the challenges faced by the law enforcement community and more importantly the challenges we face as a nation.”

Menendez and the other leaders noted Sotomayor’s judicial experience, and said they are committed to promoting a fair confirmation process by the U.S. Senate.

“Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to be a Justice of the Supreme Court is a proud moment for America,” Menendez said. “It’s proof that the American dream is in reach for everyone willing to work hard, play by the rules, give back to their communities, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or social economic background. And it’s further proof of the deep roots the Hispanic community has in this country.”

By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

A group of Latino leaders expressed their full support of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor on Capitol Hill today. A number of leaders from organizations such as the National Hispanic Bar Association (HNBA) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss Sotomayor, who is undergoing a confirmation process with the U.S. Senate.

“At a time in our history, when the Supreme Court is constantly balancing he expansion of law enforcement against individual rights, it is critical that a justice understand the real life consequences the opinions of the highest court in the land have on the lives of the Latinos.” said John Amaya, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Legislative Staff Attorney. “We strongly believe that Judge Sotomayor has the experience and legal judgement that will best serve all Americans.”

In a press release, the Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary (HFJ) said that Sotomayor’s perspective would be critical to the increasing number of cases that are being heard before the Supreme Court that ultimately affect the Latino and immigrant communities.

Reid said just as much as he can’t change who he is and what his life experiences are, “She can’t change who she is. She is going to rely on her life experiences in writing her opinions. That’s who she is. She has made 3,400 decisions while she has been a member of the federal judiciary. She has written opinions on hundreds of those decisions that she’s made and her life story is part of her opinions,” he said.

Sotomayor also continued her meetings with senators on Capitol Hill today. She met with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) this morning. Following their meeting, Menendez said he fully supports Sotomayor and praised her for her depth of judicial experience.

Menendez said he finds her “incredibly well qualified and with an enormous intellectual prowess that I think the committee will see when she answers questions.”

By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

Raised by a single parent and a product of the New York public school system who eventually went on to graduate from Princeton and Yale Law School, Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor’s story resonates with many Americans. She was able to overcome obstacles and elevate her status in society through hard work.However, Sotomayor’s nomination was important for another reason. She is the first Hispanic judge to be nominated to the nation’s highest court.

“Now to see a Latina nominated to the Supreme Court, we believe this is a great step forward for America,” said Jimmy Reina of the Hispanic Bar Association, which represents 100,000 Hispanics in the legal profession, today at a press conference praising the Sotomayor’s nomination. Reina said that having a Hispanic on the Supreme Court would bring an increased amount of “trust and confidence in the legitimacy in the United States justice system” because her nomination demonstrates to all minorities that the system is equal and fair to all.

Brent Wilkes of the League of United Latin American Citizens said that “she is an absolutely brilliant jurist who will serve the nation well, and she is the first Latino/a nominated to the Supreme Court breaking a glass ceiling that for our community has been very troublesome over many decades.”

Roel Campos, the former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman, and first Latino to hold this position, commented on the importance of having a minority in such a high position. “I was the first Hispanic Commissioner of the SEC and it makes a difference. It sends a message that America is moving forward,” said Campos.

None of the speakers believed that Sotomayor would face serious trouble that would jeopardize her confirmation because she received bi-partisan support during her previous confirmation hearings.

Wilkes gave a stern warning to any Republicans who would stand in the way of her confirmation because of “the length of time the Latino population has waited for this nomination it has been a long time, and the hopes and aspirations are all tied up in this nominee and the last thing they want to do is dash those hopes.”

By Annie Berman, Talk Radio News Service

Today at the White House, President Obama announced federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor as the widely-anticipated replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. If confirmed, Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic woman to serve on the bench, and the third woman in history.

A native of New York, Sotomayor, 54, was born to Puerto Rican parents. After her father died she was raised in a single family household.

Sotomayor attended Princeton University where she graduated summa cum laude in 1976. Later, she attended Yale Law School where she was the editor of The Yale Law Journal.

After graduation from law school in 1979, Sotomayor served as an Assistant District Attorney to New York County District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. In 1997, Sotomayer was nominated by President Bill Clinton to her current position.

Sotomayer’s most famous case was the 1994 baseball strike. Sotomayer issued the preliminary injunction against Major League Baseball which prevented the MLB from implementing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and using replacement players. Her ruling in this case ended the strike one day before the 1995 season.

Obama had only praise for Sotomayor. “Judge Sotomayor has worked at almost every level of our judicial system, providing her with a depth of experience and a breadth of perspective that will be invaluable as a Supreme Court justice,” he said. Obama added that he hopes Sotomayor may begin her tenure with the court when it begins its term in October.  

After Obama spoke, Sotomayor thanked her mother and brother for their support, and the President for the nomination. “I chose to be a lawyer and ultimately a judge because I find endless challenge in the complexities of the law.”  

Sotomayor now faces a daunting confirmation process with the U.S. Senate. 

Political Science Professor Christine Sierra, of University of New Mexico talks about how [Senator] John McCain (R-Ariz) is making New Mexico’s voters, and specifically Latino voters, an aggressive part of his campaign. However, she says, the “Obama staff” [Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)] is being won in the ground war, because of how he is staffing his offices in New Mexico. (0:54)

 

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