Sessions Reacts to Sotomayor’s Nomination

Alabama Mobile Alabama's Senator will play an important role in the confirmation hearing.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Tue, May 26, 2009 - 7:23 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, May 26, 2009 - 8:24 pm CST

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions will play an important role in the Senate hearing for U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
Sessions is the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
When asked if he was going to vote for or against Sotomayor, Sessions said, "I'm not going to pre-judge how I'm going to vote."
Sessions said he first wants to hear how Sotomayor perceives the role of a judge.
He said, "Some think it is perfectly fine for a judge to be more activist, more aggressive, more policy setting, and I think not."
Sessions said he hasn't thought of any specific questions for Sotomayor, but, "I think one of the questions may be arising from the President's comments that he believes a judge should have empathy. Empathy could indicate that you pre-judge a case, or are influenced by factors outside the case itself."
Sessions didn't vote for Sotomayor when she was nominated to the federal appeals court in 1998.
Why?
He said, "I frankly don't remember all the reasons. It was maybe ten years ago, but it was something we'll be looking at. There was some unease at that time about her elevation from a District Judge to a Court of Appeals Judge."
But Sessions said Sotomayor will get a fair opportunity to be heard.
He said, "I hope its the kind of hearing that people will say, 'That's the way a Senate Judiciary hearing should be.' "

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