NATIONAL POLITICS & POLICY | Sotomayor Sworn In as Supreme Court Justice
[Aug. 10, 2009]

Sonia Sotomayor on Saturday was sworn in as the newest justice on the U.S. Supreme Court during a closed-door ceremony in the Justices' Conference Room at the Supreme Court, Roll Call reports. Sotomayor, 55, is the court's first Hispanic justice and only the third woman to join the court. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the constitutional oath to Sotomayor, whom the Senate confirmed Aug. 6 in a 68-31 vote (Stanton, Roll Call, 8/8). Roberts oversaw two ceremonies, the private ceremony and an event before Sotomayor's family and friends in the East Conference Room. For the first time, television cameras were allowed to broadcast the second ceremony, the Los Angeles Times reports. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the only other member of the court in attendance (Savage, Los Angeles Times, 8/9).

Roberts said that Sotomayor can now "begin work as associate justice without delay." The AP/Baltimore Sun reports that the court is set to hear arguments on its first case of the session on Sept. 9. The entire court will gather the day before for a formal ceremony to welcome Sotomayor (Sherman, AP/Baltimore Sun, 8/8).





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