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JusticeSonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor

In October Term 2014, a single noisy term, Sotomayor voted with the majority in 82% of divided cases and 89% of all cases. The comparison is the other justices on that bench.

82% in the majority, divided cases this term, noisy
89% in the majority, all cases this term, noisy
7 majority opinions this term
-1.92 Martin-Quinn, this term relative to the docket

Ideology over time

-20+2+42009201020152017SotomayorCONSERVATIVELIBERAL

Martin-Quinn score by term against the Court median. Negative is liberal. Scores are relative to the docket. Intervals are not in this file. A single term is noisy.

Download the rows (CSV)

Table
seriestermmartin_quinn
Sotomayor2009-1.441
Sotomayor2010-1.482
Sotomayor2011-1.551
Sotomayor2012-1.832
Sotomayor2013-1.922
Sotomayor2014-1.920
Sotomayor2017-3.222
Court median20090.572
Court median20100.679
Court median20110.436
Court median2012-0.373
Court median20130.465
Court median20140.470
Court median2017-0.590

Where Sotomayor came down, by issue

0%25%50%75%100%Judicial PowerCivil RightsFirst AmendmentCriminal ProcedureEconomic Activity

Share of votes coded liberal. The first-run issue table suppresses cells under 25 votes and does not publish a separate Court rate for this justice. Direction before 1946 is excluded.

Download the rows (CSV)

Table
issuejustice_liberalcourt_liberaln
Judicial Power0.681458
Civil Rights0.680458
First Amendment0.654458
Criminal Procedure0.636458
Economic Activity0.521458

At oral argument stage 3

Words per argument, questions to each side, interruptions given and received, and whether the side questioned more went on to lose. Formats are never pooled.

Source: Oyez speaker turns

Writing style stage 2

Words per opinion, reading grade, citations per thousand words, and the share of case versus statutory citations.

Source: CourtListener opinion text

Reasoning profile stage 6

Which reasoning techniques appear, against the Court average over the same terms. Validation accuracy prints beside the chart.

Source: Taxonomy classifier over opinion text

Before the Court stage 8

Pre-appointment opinions, reversal record and panel agreement.

Source: CourtListener, labeled by coverage

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