Supreme Court begins new term with 2nd woman, Sonia Sotomayor, on bench
By APMonday, October 5, 2009
Supreme Court begins new term with new justice
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has begun its new term with a new look. As court convened today, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice, joined the eight others.
She replaces Justice David Souter who retired. But this won’t be her first time behind the high court bench. Sotomayor joined the court in time to hear a special oral argument last month over campaign finance regulations.
The featured argument on the court’s first day will be over how long a suspect’s request for a lawyer should remain valid. Other high profile cases come later in the year — including arguments over strict local and state gun control laws.
The justices will hear arguments until the end of April and issue decisions until the end of June.
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