• Prev
• 1 of 2
• Next

COMING to Guam reminds U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor so much of her native Puerto Rico.

“When I landed at the airport (Wednesday), I thought I was back in Puerto Rico,” she said during a news conference yesterday morning at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spa, before being whisked away to participate in the District Court of Guam’s annual district conference.

“I already understand that this is a family-centered culture; [and] that is [similar to] Puerto Rico. I think you can’t be in a community like an island without family taking on a critical importance in both your everyday relationships and lifetime priorities, and I believe that is exceedingly important,” she said.

“I would like, when I leave, to come away with a sense of what your life issues are; what the island is like; and to understand better the places I have visited,” she added.

Sotomayor was asked if she ever had to make a decision that conflicts with her personal perceptive.

She answered: “There are moments in the court’s application of the law over time that you realize that no matter how much you think Congress meant or would’ve done something else, you can’t do it because you’re taking principle away from a ruling in a certain way.”

During the conference, she participated in a “conversatorio” with conference attendees. Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice Phil Carbullido said the participants in the conference were expected to learn the workings of the U.S. Supreme Court firsthand through Sotomayor and “how the justices relate to one another.”

Sotomayor also administered the oath of admission for six attorneys to the Guam Bar Association as well as two attorneys who will practice law at the District Court of Guam.

Among the new lawyers was Christine Santos who felt honored to be sworn in by the justice.

“This is a moment in history for the Guam Bar Association because no local attorney was ever sworn in by the United States Supreme Court, so it’s definitely very exciting,” Santos said.
Santos’ step-grandfather, former Lt. Gov. Frank Blas Sr., was happy to have Sotomayor on-island. “It’s historical. I think she exhibits an understanding of where we are coming from here on Guam,” he said.

Sotomayor spent the afternoon visiting Guam Memorial Hospital, the military bases, and non-profit organizations. Today, she is scheduled to be at the University of Guam Field House for a “conversatorio” with students. 
She then heads to Saipan this weekend for the NMI District Court Conference before returning to the U.S. mainland.