Sotomayor rejects push to retire before Trump takes office

[craig nigrelli]

img: 111124 sonia sotomayor

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR ISN’T STEPPING DOWN, DESPITE CALLS FROM SOME PROGRESSIVES FOR HER TO RETIRE BEFORE PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP TAKES OFFICE. AT 70 YEARS OLD, SOURCES CLOSE TO HER TELLING MEDIA OUTLETS SHE’S IN GREAT HEALTH AND REMAINS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO HER WORK ON THE COURT.

SOTOMAYOR, THE MOST SENIOR LIBERAL VOICE ON THE CONSERVATIVE-MAJORITY SUPREME COURT, HAS DISMISSED THE NOTION OF STEPPING ASIDE TO ALLOW PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TO APPOINT HER SUCCESSOR.

SOME DEMOCRATS WORRY ABOUT A REPEAT OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG’S DECISION NOT TO RETIRE UNDER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, WHICH ALLOWED THEN-PRESIDENT TRUMP TO RESHAPE THE COURT.

THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS AGE. GINSBURG WAS 80 IN 2013 AND SOTOMAYOR IS 70.

BUT PUSHING SOTOMAYOR TO STEP ASIDE FACES POLITICAL AND LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES. WITH REPUBLICANS SET TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SENATE IN JANUARY, THERE LIKELY ISN’T ENOUGH TIME FOR PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TO NOMINATE AND CONFIRM A REPLACEMENT.

SOTOMAYOR, WHO HAS LIVED WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES SINCE CHILDHOOD, SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN. SHE’S A VOCAL PRESENCE DURING COURT ARGUMENTS AND REMAINS ACTIVE AT PUBLIC EVENTS. SPEAKING AT HARVARD IN MAY, SHE ADMITTED TO MOMENTS OF “DEEP SADNESS” OVER COURT DECISIONS BUT SAID SHE ALWAYS CHOOSES TO “GET UP AND FIGHT SOME MORE.”

ON NBC’S MEET THE PRESS, SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS DISMISSED THE IDEA OF PRESSURING SOTOMAYOR TO STEP DOWN, CALLING IT “NOT SENSIBLE.”

FOR NOW, JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR IS HOLDING HER GROUND, CONTINUING HER ROLE AS A LEADING LIBERAL VOICE ON THE SUPREME COURT.

FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING – BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY, OR LOG ON TO SAN.COM.