Sonia Sotomayor Says Supreme Court Has Done 'Crazy Things' and Hopes to Overturn Trump Immunity Rule

Sotomayor and the court's two other liberal justices dissented from the decision, which held that President Donald Trump could not be prosecuted for many acts tied to his official duties. During her appearance, she identified that ruling as one she would like to see reversed.

Sonia Sotomayor Criticises Supreme Court Decisions

The justice spoke for an hour at a conference examining the past and future of American democracy. Her remarks addressed the court's work alongside concerns about the rule of law, civic discourse and the country's democratic future.

Sotomayor expressed hope that the court would 'take back some of the crazy things that it's done', according to Politico. She quickly added that she was joking, then qualified that remark with 'maybe not.'

The Obama appointee was more specific when discussing the immunity decision. 'There are some opinions that I hope in my lifetime will get overturned. The immunity case is one of them,' she stated.

Sotomayor also expressed sympathy for teachers, particularly those covering constitutional law, given what she called 'systemic changes in my court's jurisprudence'. Her comments about teaching accompanied her criticism of the court's decisions, and her hope that some opinions would be overturned.

Sonia Sotomayor Describes A Democratic Rough Patch

Sotomayor described the country as experiencing a 'rough patch' in relation to the rule of law and civic discourse. She characterised the challenges as numerous and the moment as critical.

'I think we're in a rough patch right now. There's so many challenges to it on so many different levels. This is a really critical point in our history,' she stated.

She suggested that lawmakers might need to intervene to restore eroded norms, while offering no specifics about such action. Her comments combined concern that some norms could be lost permanently with confidence that democracy would endure.

'We will come out of this changed and there are some norms that we may have lost forever, but I don't think we will fail as a democracy,' Sotomayor stated.

She also blamed a breakdown in civility for weakening civic life, addressing the way people respond to those with whom they disagree.

'That someone disagrees with you doesn't make them a bad person, and that's something we've forgotten,' she stated.

Sonia Sotomayor Draws Encouragement From Voters

Sotomayor avoided commenting directly on the week's midterm results. She nevertheless described Tuesday's 'outpouring of voters' as an encouraging sign.

According to Politico, turnout was near 49 per cent, a level surpassed in modern midterms only in 2018. Sotomayor's comments about voter participation accompanied her broader expressions of confidence that the country would recover from the difficulties she described.

That confidence extended beyond the prospect of recovery within her own lifetime. While expressing hope that she would witness it, Sotomayor stated that she believed recovery would happen even if she did not.

'I'm hoping it's...in my lifetime. But even if it's not in my lifetime, I genuinely believe it will happen,' she stated.