Senate Confirms Sotomayor As Next Supreme Court Justice
In a 68 to 31 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
The historic confirmation means that Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, the third woman to hold the judicial honor, and the 111th justice to serve on America's highest court.
Sotomayor will fill the vacancy left by former Justice David Souter who retired from the court in June 2009 after nearly nineteen years on the Court.
Justice Sotomayor brings with her years of experience in public service and private practice.
She was a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, a New York City corporate lawyer in private practice, federal trial judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (perhaps the busiest and most crowded docket in the country), and a U.S. Court of Appeals Judge in the Second Circuit.
As expected the Senate vote split along party lines, with the only votes against her confirmation coming from 31 Senate Republicans.
Related Resources:
- Senate Judiciary Committee: Sonia Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings
- How Republicans Voted on Sotomayor, The New York Times (Aug. 6, 2009)
- Sotomayor's Senate Confirmation Hearings, The Washington Post
- Supreme Court Center, FindLaw, (Opinions, Docket, etc.)
Photo credit: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio