NPR Correspondent Juan Williams: Sotomayor Will Respect Precedent

NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams says that he expects Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to adhere to precedent and stay within the mainstream when making decisions. (0:16)
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How Did Supreme Court Confirmation Battles Become So Contentious?

With a filibuster-proof 60 Democratic seats in the Senate, Judge Sonia Sotomayor has nothing to worry about. Unless the senators discover something completely unexpected and horrifying about her past, she will be the next Supreme Court justice. And yet she still faces heated opposition and rhetoric from the Republican minority.

How did Supreme Court confirmation battles become so contentious? And why do some nominees face loads of opposition while others sail through? TRNS Legal Affairs Correspondent Matthew S. Schwartz interviews various Supreme Court experts to try to figure out how things got quite so heated.

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Judges Aren't Lawmakers, Says Sotomayor

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asks Judge Sonia Sotomayor whether or not she believes judges make the law. She says no, but they do change the way of viewing the law. Sotomayor adds that they change their thinking based on things like: facts, theories and affirmations. (0:52)
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Sotomayor Says Judges Must Let The Law Guide Them

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says life experiences generally help her to listen and understand, but she believes that all judges ultimately must rely on the law to command the results in a case. (0:35)
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Sotomayor Admits "Wise Latina" Remarks Failed

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor touches upon her speech that included the "wise Latina" comment during her confirmation hearing Wednesday. She says it is clear from the attention her words have received, that her words failed. (0:13)
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Sotomayor Inspired By TV Lawyer

During her confirmation hearing Wednesday, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor tells Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) that the television show Perry Mason inspired her to become a prosecutor. She describes one episode in which the prosecutor says their job is to "do justice and justice is served when a guilty man is convicted and an innocent man is not." She says she thought the idea of serving in that role was quite amazing. (0:54)
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Sotomayor: I Ask Lawyers The Tough Questions

During her confirmation hearings Tuesday, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was asked about how she felt about the harsh reviews by litigators in the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary. Sotomayor responded that she simply asks lawyers the tough questions in court. (0:31)
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Sotomayor Defends Her Consistency With The Rule Of Law

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor defends her decision making process and advises Senators to look at her record for proof that she is consistent with the rule of law. Though she said she recognizes that there are situations in which one may feel empathy for someone else, she reaffirmed that the rule of law is final. (1:01)
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Sotomayor Rejects Empathy Standard

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says that the "empathy standard" advanced by President Obama as one that marks a good judge is not necessarily one that she would use in her own judicial philosophy. "Judges can't rely on what's in their heart." (0:36)
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Sen. Leahy: Senate Should Give American People Clear Understanding Of Who Sotomayor Is

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said that if the Senate does it's job during the ongoing hearings, the American people will have a clear understanding of who Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is. Leahy added that he does not expect a party-line vote to confirm Sotomayor (0:41)
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Feinstein Defends Sotomayor, Says Nominee Not An Activist Judge

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) defends Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor from her critics, saying that a "reserved" and "factual" judge is being inaccurately "characterized as being an activist." She says that Sotomayor has ruled alongside Republican judicial appointees a vast majority of the time. (0:58)
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Sessions Questions Sotomayor About Impartial Judgement

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says that he agrees with the statements on impartiality that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has made during her confirmation hearings, but he says that her record suggests that she believes a judge's personal experiences should impact his interpretation of the law. (0:48)
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Sotomayor Clarifies "Wise Latina Woman" Comment

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says that life experiences will affect a judge's thinking, but that these experiences should be set aside to provide an impartial result based on the law. (0:52)
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Sotomayor Says Race And Gender Do Not Necessarily Affect Good Judgement

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says that her comments regarding a "wise Latina woman" have been misunderstood. She says that she does not believe that any person is more capable of good judgment based on their race or gender. (0:42)
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Sen. Whitehouse Asks Sotomayor To Use Discretion Wisely

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) tells Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor that he'd like to avoid code words and is looking for her to give a simple pledge to use the broad discretion of a Supreme Court Justice wisely. (0:31)
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Sen. Graham Troubled By Sotomayor's "Wise Latina" Comment

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) tells Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor that her previous speeches are troubling to him. He specifically highlighted her "wise Latina woman" comment and said that it is important to see how a judge thinks about life, even when they're outside of the court room and out of the robe. He says if he had made a statement even remotely like that, his career would have been over. (0:24)
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Sen. Grassley Not Looking For A 'Creative' Justice

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said during the first day of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings that he's not looking to support a creative justice who will allow his/her background and personal preferences to decide cases. (0:15)
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Sen. Feingold: Courage Is Key For SCOTUS Justice

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) says one of the most important qualities a Supreme Court Justice should have is courage, primarily the courage to stand up to the President and to Congress in order to protect the Constitutional rights of the American people and preserve the rule of law. (0:14)
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Sen. Kohl: SCOTUS Decisions Affect Real People With Real Problems

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) says a Supreme Court Justice should realize that decisions handed down by the Court affect real people with real problems. Kohl adds that [Justices] must have a connection with and an understanding of the problems that people struggle with on a day to day basis. He says, "justice after all may be blind but it should not be deaf." (0:18)
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Sen. Sessions Wants Public To Follow Sotomayor Hearings Closely

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) says during day one of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor that he hopes the American people follow the hearings closely. He notes that he would like for the public to consider the question: If I were to go to court one day what kind of judge do I want ruling in that case? (0:39)
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