On Monday, July 13, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor. Nominated by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sotomayor currently serves on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a position she has held since 1998. Prior to that, Sotomayor served as a federal judge for the Southern District of New York for eight years.
Sotomayor’s views on a number of issues have come under intense scrutiny. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has researched her record on issues relating to church-state separation and religious freedom. A summary of her relevant rulings is
below.
If confirmed, Sotomayor will replace Justice David Souter, a strong proponent of church state separation. Because Souter was such a powerful advocate for the church-state wall, Americans United believes it is imperative that his replacement hold similar views. Sotomayor’s record on church-state relations, however, is not lengthy. There are many church-state issues she has never had the opportunity to address.
In light of this, Americans United has taken no position on her confirmation. AU has asked members of the Judiciary Committee to question Sotomayor closely and give her ample opportunity to fully explain her views on both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.
http://www.au.org/documents/2009/07/sotomayor-july-2009.pdf