Sotomayor defends "wise Latina" remarks
Barack Obama's supreme court nominee Sonia Sotomayor defends "wise Latina" comments from 2001 speech
Also In The News
|
By Adam Leveridge. |  |
Tuesday, 14, Jul 2009 05:26
Barack Obama's nominee for the supreme court, Sonia Sotomayor, has defended comments she made appearing to suggest Hispanic women made better natural judges than white men.
Appearing before the Senate judiciary committee on the second day of her confirmation hearing, Judge Sotomayor, who will become the first Hispanic person to serve on the court, said the remarks did not betray a racial bias.
In a 2001 speech the judge had said a "wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion [than a white man]".
But following questioning from the committee's senior Republican, senator Jeff Sessions, she said her comments were a play on words that "fell flat".
"It was bad because it left an impression that I believed that life experiences commanded a result in a case, but that's clearly not what I do as a judge," she said.
"I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging.
"I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences."