Sotomayor says her record shows she follows the law

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday called abortion rights under Roe v. Wade "settled law."

Answering a question from Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl about how she felt about the landmark ruling legalizing abortion in 1973, the federal appeals court judge cited subsequent cases upholding abortion rights and said "there is a right of privacy."

In her second day before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of her confirmation process, Sotomayor defended herself against charges that her speeches and rulings show racial bias, telling the Senate panel vetting her nomination that critics had misunderstood her record.

"I believe what my record shows is that I follow the law," she said. "I don't pre-judge issues."

Sotomayor, 55, President Obama's pick to become the high court's first Hispanic and third woman, responded to sharp Republican criticism of a 2001 speech in which she suggested a "wise Latina" would usually reach better conclusions than a white man without similar experiences.

She said she was trying to inspire Latinos to understand that their background and experiences would enrich the legal system and that her comments have been misunderstood, adding that no ethnic group has an inherent advantage when it comes to judgment.

She did admit to a "rhetorical flourish that fell flat" when it came to the Latina remark.

"It was bad" she said, but does not reflect her judgment.

Sotomayor also said a much-discussed ruling she and two other judges made against white New Haven, Conn., firefighters who alleged reverse discrimination after being denied promotions wasn't about affirmative action or quotas.

She said she and her colleagues based their decision on precedent and that her potential colleagues on the Supreme Court "applied a new standard."

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the senior Republican on the committee, asked if "prejudices" had influenced Sotomayor's legal views.

"Life experiences have to influence you — we're not robots," Sotomayor said, but they have to set aside in the interest of the law. "The law should command the result," she said.