Justice Sotomayor Apologizes for 'Hurtful' Comments About Brett Kavanaugh
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor apologized Wednesday for making "inappropriate" and "hurtful" comments about her colleague Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She made the critical remarks last week at the University of Kansas School of Law while discussing an immigration case.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an unusual public apology Wednesday after making personal criticisms of Justice Brett Kavanaugh at a law school event.
"I made remarks that were inappropriate," Sotomayor said in a statement to The New York Times and other outlets. "I regret my hurtful comments."
The liberal justice made the critical comments last week while speaking at the University of Kansas School of Law. She was discussing Kavanaugh's views in an immigration-related case when she shifted to personal criticism of her conservative colleague.
Public apologies between Supreme Court justices are extremely rare. The nine justices typically maintain professional relationships despite their legal disagreements, even when they write sharp critiques of each other's legal reasoning.
Sotomayor was nominated by President Obama in 2009, while Kavanaugh was nominated by President Trump in 2018. The Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority, with Sotomayor often writing dissenting opinions on major cases.
Public fights between Supreme Court justices are extremely rare. The Court makes decisions that affect millions of Americans, and personal conflicts between justices could impact how they rule on cases involving abortion, immigration, and other major issues.
The Court will continue hearing cases this term, with major decisions on immigration and other issues expected by June.
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