We apply law to facts. We don’t apply feelings to facts.
Meaning of the quote
When we make decisions or judgments, we should focus on the facts and laws, not our personal feelings or emotions. Judges, like Sonia Sotomayor, have to look at the evidence and use the rules or laws to guide their decisions, instead of letting their own biases or feelings influence the outcome. It's important to be objective and fair when dealing with important matters, rather than letting our emotions cloud our judgment.
About Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and Latina Supreme Court Justice in the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009 and has served on the Supreme Court since then, supporting the liberal bloc of justices. Sotomayor has a diverse background, growing up in the Bronx and graduating from Princeton and Yale Law School before becoming a federal judge and then a Supreme Court Justice.
More quotes from Sonia Sotomayor
I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences. Today is one of those experiences.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I was raised in a Bronx public housing project, but studied at two of the nation’s finest universities. I did work as an assistant district attorney, prosecuting violent crimes that devastate our communities.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
With my academic achievement in high school I was accepted rather readily at Princeton and equally as fast at Yale, but my test scores were not comparable to that of my classmates. And that’s been shown by statistics, there are reasons for that – there are cultural biases built into testing, and that was one of the motivations for the concept of affirmative action to try to balance out those effects.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
All of the legal defense funds out there, they’re looking for people out there with court of appeals experience, because court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know, I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don’t make law, I know. I know.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I firmly believe in the rule of law as the foundation for all of our basic rights.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I stand on the shoulders of countless people, yet there is one extraordinary person who is my life aspiration – that person is my mother, Celina Sotomayor.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
Even though Article IV of the Constitution says that treaties are the ‘supreme law of the land,’ in most instances they’re not even law.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
We apply law to facts. We don’t apply feelings to facts.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I wouldn’t approach the issue of judging in the way the president does. Judges can’t rely on what’s in their heart. They don’t determine the law. Congress makes the law. The job of a judge is to apply the law.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
I hope that as the Senate and the American people learn more about me they will see that I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
It’s not the heart that compels conclusions in cases, it’s the law.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009
This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2009