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Sotomayor Confirmation to Bring Another Kind of First

By Carolyn Elefant

As you've probably already heard, yesterday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. The Senate's 68-31 vote was split largely along party lines, with Democrats unanimously supporting Sotomayor along with nine Republicans. The Senate's vote was historic: It will make Sotomayor the first Hispanic and only the third woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. But her confirmation will also prove historic for another, more obscure reason. As the Blog of Legal Times reports today, the new Justice Sotomayor will take the oath of office at the Supreme Court, and the oath will be televised on C-SPAN. Though the oaths of every justice from Clarence Thomas on has been televised, those events took place at the White House. Sotomayor's swearing-in will give the public a rare view inside the Supreme Court, specifically the East Conference Room where Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath. Is the televised swearing-in at the Court a harbinger of new policy that would allow cameras in the High Court? Sotomayor herself has already expressed an openness to the idea based on her own experience with cameras in the 2nd Circuit. It's too soon...

Full post as published by Legal Blog Watch on August 07, 2009 (boomark / email).