Sotomayor Hopes Court Overturns Presidential Immunity Decision

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is hoping the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its ruling regarding granting former presidents’ broad criminal immunity.

She added in her talk Saturday at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate that her colleagues have done some “crazy things.”

The liberal justice also commented for the first time on last week’s midterm elections that resulted in Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress.

“We saw the outpouring of voters on Tuesday,” Sotomayor said. She only referenced the turnout, not the Democratic victories.

“I tell people all the time, there’s no excuse for not voting. There just isn’t. Apathy is not acceptable,” she said.

Sotomayor’s comments were part of a multi-day event at the first president’s estate celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.

Sotomayor focused most of her remarks on the importance of civics education, but also spoke about her concerns about the state of democracy. She said it would take “some hard work” for the country to get back on an “even keel.”

“There have been some systemic changes in my court’s jurisprudence in many areas of law,” Sotomayor said. “We’ll settle down, too. Not quite sure when. But we will. And a new order will be established that people will begin to understand.”

She pointed to the court’s 6-3 decision that former presidents have at least presumptive immunity for their official acts. At the time, Sotomayor wrote that it made President Trump and his successors a “king above the law.”

“I dissent a lot. I’m hoping that the court will take back some of the crazy things that it’s done. I’m only joking — maybe not,” Sotomayor said Saturday.

“No, seriously,” she continued. “You know, I’ve spoken openly about this, there’s some opinions that I hope in my lifetime will get overturned. The immunity case is one of them.”