Ethics

CRS Report Confirms Sotomayor as Careful, Moderate Judge

By Ed Brayton

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service has issued a report (PDF) on Judge Sotomayor's record that reaches the same conclusion I did after reading through a few dozen of her written opinions -- that far from being some ultra-liberal judicial activist she is a moderate, middle of the road, careful judge who adheres closely to precedent.

"As a group, the opinions belie easy categorization along any ideological spectrum. Perhaps the most consistent characteristic of Judge Sotomayor's approach as an appellate judge has been an adherence to the doctrine of stare decisis, i.e., the upholding of past judicial precedents. Other characteristics appear to include what many would describe as a careful application of particular facts at issue in a case and a dislike for situations in which the court might be seen as oversteping its judicial role."

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on July 01, 2009 (boomark / email).