Sotomayor Apologizes to Kavanaugh for Personal Attack on His Upbringing
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a rare public apology to Justice Brett Kavanaugh after she took a personal swipe at him during a speech at the University of Kansas School of Law.
In her remarks last week, Sotomayor criticized Kavanaugh’s concurrence in a case allowing broader immigration enforcement stops by agents. She suggested his views showed a lack of real-world understanding, saying the opinion came from “a man whose parents were professionals” who “probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.”
Legal observers called the comments a petty personal attack that crossed into improper territory for a sitting justice. Jonathan Turley, among others, criticized the remarks as undermining the collegiality of the Court and urged a correction.
Sotomayor responded Wednesday with a brief statement: “At a recent appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law, I referred to a disagreement with one of my colleagues in a prior case, but I made remarks that were inappropriate. I regret my hurtful comments. I have apologized to my colleague.”
The quick apology stands out in a Court often marked by sharp ideological divides. It reflects basic accountability after an unguarded moment that injected personal elitism claims into a debate over law enforcement and immigration policy.
Disagreements on the bench are expected, but turning them into class-based jabs erodes public trust in the institution. Sotomayor did the right thing by owning it.