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Obama Chooses Bronx Judge
May 26th, 2009

President Barack Obama has just announced that he has selected Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals court judge raised in the Bronx, as his nominee for the Supreme Court. If confirmed to replace retiring Justice David Souter, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic on the court — her parents came here from Puerto Rico — and only the third woman.

Sotomayor, whose father died when she was 9 years old, went to Catholic schools. Raised in a housing project, she attended Princeton, which she once likened to an “alien country.” She went on to Yale Law School, serving as editor of the Yale Law Journal. After graduating she worked for the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The first president George Bush named her to federal district court in 1991, and in 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her to her current job.

Despite her compelling personal story, Sotomayor could attract opposition from conservatives who see her as too activist a judge. With her name under consideration for the nomination, a video circulated in which she said the courts are the place where “policy is made,” although she added, “And I know this is on tape and I should never say that, because we don’t make law. I know.”

In a statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who couldn’t resist seeming to claim some credit for the appointment) hailed Sotomayor, saying, “Her story is a perfect example of the kind of opportunity that is available in this city – and this country – to those who devote themselves to their dreams.

Calling Sotomayor “a distinguished and thoughtful voice,” Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s statement, continued, ” Just as Justices [Thurgood] Marshall and [Sandra Day] O’Connor broke down centuries-old barriers, Judge Sotomayor is a trailblazer whose accomplishments will serve as an inspiration for women, minorities, and all New Yorkers. ”

Her appointment, Patrice O’Shaughnessy wrote in the Daily News gives the Bronx the chance to get “national attention as a breeding ground for the best and the brightest in this nation” — even though the media outside New York seems bit confused about what neighborhood the judge actually grew up in. (The Bronxdale Houses in the southeast Bronx.)

By Gail Robinson on May 26, 2009, 10:38 am
In category: Civil Rights, Gotham City, Law | No Comments »

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