Fact-Checking Sonia Sotomayor: Myths Vs. Truths About the Trailblazing Justice
Q1: Did Sonia Sotomayor really save the 1995 Major League Baseball season single-handedly?
A1: Legally, yes. Acting as a federal district judge on March 31, 1995, she granted the National Labor Relations Board's request for a preliminary injunction against team owners in Silverman v. Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee. Her ruling restored the original collective bargaining terms, ending the longest strike in sports history and allowing the 1995 season to proceed.
Q2: Who nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the federal judiciary?
A2: She holds the rare distinction of receiving federal appointments from both political parties. President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1991. President Bill Clinton elevated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1997. President Barack Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court in 2009.
Q3: How does her Type 1 diabetes impact her daily duties on the bench?
A3: Sotomayor has managed Type 1 diabetes since age seven. She maintains an exacting regimen of glucose monitoring and carries snacks or glucose tablets to the bench. While her diagnosis requires constant attention, it has not prevented her from maintaining a regular attendance record throughout her judicial tenure.