July 2009

In This Issue

• LatinoJustice PRLDEF is Proud to be Part of This Historic Day
• Action Items

LatinoJustice PRLDEF is Proud to be Part of This Historic Day

The U.S. Senate and the American public today will start to consider Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court. It's a historic day for our country, for Judge Sotomayor and for LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

"Judge Sotomayor served admirably as a member of our Board of Directors for close to 12 years. She is imminently qualified to take on this historic role," said LatinoJustice PRLDEF President and General Counsel Cesar Perales. "The LatinoJustice PRLDEF family is proud to be a part of this historic day. Judge Sotomayor will be a great asset to the court and to our nation."

"But suggestions made before and during the committee hearings--that she cannot control her feelings or doesn't understand the constitution--are based on prejudice. The entire Latino community will now be watching the full Senate vote closely, and we will not tolerate any continued effort to embarrass her or declare her unqualified based on unfounded claims that personal bias affects her decision making."

Perales will be attending this week's confirmation hearings in Washington, along with hundreds of other Sotomayor supporters from New York, Puerto Rico, and across the United States. He will be tweeting live from the hearings for LatinoJustice PRLDEF followers on twitter.

Today's confirmation hearings are already underway.

Action Item: Sign our Petition

Today we delivered 5,000 copies of our petition supporting Judge Sonia Sotomayor to Sen. Patrick Leahy. We are still collecting signatures and will continue to deliver copies to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. We need your help to make this petition a success. Please sign and send to your networks.