Sotomayor tells Senate panel she would not take preconceived notions into gun cases on court

Sotomayor vows to keep open mind in gun cases

WASHINGTON — Sonia Sotoymayor is seeking to reassure senators that she would not take any “preconceived notions” about gun rights to the Supreme Court if confirmed as a justice.

The 55-year-old Sotomayor told the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday that “one of my Godchildren is a member of the NRA. I have friends who hunt.”

But she also said that as a member of the high court bench, she would feel constrained by precedent, if the Supreme Court has already spoken on an issue. The high court earlier this year reaffirmed the right of people to own a gun for their self-defense.