Friday, May 29, 2009

Evaluating Judges

A headline in the Times reads:

Sotomayor's Sharp Tongue Raises Questions of Temperament

The article leads off with a negative anecdote, which is followed by the usual back and forth about whether her tough questioning is appropriate. On the first page of the web store, you find her called "difficult" and "nasty," and you also find Justice Antonin Scalia's questioning called "acerbic." But the money graf is on the second page:
Judge Guido Calabresi, a former dean of Yale Law School who taught Ms. Sotomayor there and now sits with her on the Second Circuit, said complaints that she had been unduly caustic had no basis. For a time, Judge Calabresi said, he kept track of the questions posed by Judge Sotomayor and other members of the 12-member court. “Her behavior was identical,” he said.
“Some lawyers just don’t like to be questioned by a woman,” Judge Calabresi added. “It was sexist, plain and simple.”

2 comments:

Civic Center said...

You're right that the "7 Early Songs" did sound like "Gurrelieder" without the pomposity. And yes, the Schubert did sound "Brahmsian," but I don't think that's a particularly good thing. Glad you enjoyed it, though.

Lisa Hirsch said...

And this pertains to Judge Sotomayor how? ;-)