Sonia Sotomayor on Abortion

Stalked: Sonia Sotomayor at Po on Smith Street. Someone spot her at Bar Great Harry! Read Full Story

Latina will profile Justice Sonia Sotomayor in its December/January issue, which becomes available on November 17. The magazine has posted a lengthy excerpt from the article on its website. Here is a snip: When Obama won the White House, the legal world hedged their bets on the brilliant judge with the impeccable résumé. But weeks before Obama made public his pick to replace Souter, Sotomayor called her confidante and good friend Llambelis, telling her that she wanted to pull her name from consideration. “You have to understand that Sonia is a very private person,” Llambelis explains. “She didn’t want to go through another public ... Read Full Story

The Supreme Court, which now includes its first Hispanic justice Sonia Sotomayor, begins a new term on Monday that will focus on hot-button issues including gun rights and counter-terrorism. The nation's highest court, whose decisions deeply affect US policy, will also go to work amid growing speculation over the possible departure of a judge. The nine justices have agreed to examine 55 cases this term. They will soon decide whether to add to that roster an appeal brought by Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release and are seeking resettlement in the United States. Another sensitive case likely to be taken up ... Read Full Story

The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether strict local and state gun control laws violate the Second Amendment, ensuring another high-profile battle over the rights of gun owners. The court said it will review a lower court ruling that upheld a handgun ban in Chicago. Gun rights supporters challenged gun laws in Chicago and some suburbs immediately following the high court's decision in June 2008 that struck down a handgun ban in the District of Columbia, a federal enclave. The new case tests whether last year's ruling applies as well to local and state laws. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld ... Read Full Story

A white cross erected in the California desert 75 years ago to honor soldiers killed in World War I plunged the US Supreme Court Wednesday into a complex debate on the separation of church and state. Critics charge that the cross, currently boxed and hidden in plywood, violates the US Constitution's ban on government favoring one religion over another because of where it sits: on government land at the Mojave National Preserve. The nine justices appeared divided on the issue, with the differences sharpest between progressive and conservative members of the nation's highest court. The court, whose decision will not be known for weeks, ... Read Full Story