Morgenthau on Sotomayor

Legendary Manhattan DA Bob Morgenthau weighed in to the discussion of (now) Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor a few weeks ago with a strikingly strong letter in the Wall Street Journal:

Some have suggested that the judge is "liberal," and that allegation makes me smile. Judge Sotomayor was a fearless and effective prosecutor while she was here, and I am sure that none of the defendants in her cases thought of her as a "liberal." To be sure, she is in favor of civil rights, in the sense that she believes there should be no discrimination against minorities. And she understands poverty, and does seem to favor government action that will provide a safety net to the poor. Those are, however, not exactly radical positions.

As is very evident from the opinions she has written, Judge Sotomayor believes in the rule of law. Some notice that she is Hispanic and female, and would typecast her as an "activist." But I look at her record, and see an able champion of the law serving with great distinction on the second most important appellate court in the world. Judge Sotomayor is highly qualified for any position in which wisdom, intelligence, collegiality and good character would be assets.

Robert M. Morgenthau New York Mr. Morgenthau is district attorney of the County of New York.

Sotomayor was a prosecutor under Morgenthau for five years, early in her career. Indeed, one of the striking things about her is how very much she is a New York success story - hailing from the Bronx, working for the DA's office, serving on New York's Federal bench. And, of course, endearing herself to Yankees fans in the 90's by saving baseball from a crippling strike...