During Senate Confirmation hearings Tuesday for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor , Senator Herb Kohl acknowledged criticisms against her including remarks she made at a 2001 speech at Berkeley Law School. Her comment was a “Latina woman” would make better judicial decisions than a white man, a remark she has since called a bad choice of words.
Kohl says it's Sotomayor's judicial record that counts. Kohl noted in the 230 majority opinions she issued in 11 years as a federal appellate judge, only two percent have been reversed by the Supreme Court.
Sotomayor emphasized although issuing legal opinions on those hundreds of federal appeals cases, she has been involved in thousands of cases total in her career that have not been reversed.
“I believe what my record shows is that I follow the law,” she said.
The Wisconsin Senator also asked also Sotomayor about her stance on Kelo v. New London in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of private developers who seized a woman's land for public use.
The nominee replied as an appellate judge she was bound by the decision of the higher court. However, Kohl who was troubled by the Kelo ruling, further probed her about her opinion if she were nominated to the Supreme Court.
“I don't prejudge issues. I come to every case with an open mind,” said the high court nominee.
Critics of the 2005 eminent domain ruling say it was a violation of property rights.
Kohl also asked her stances on cameras in the courts , affirmative action, antitrust, Roe v. Wade and Bush v. Gore.
AUDIO: Kohl on Planned Parenthood v Casey (MP3 :51)
