Blogamole › Sonia Sotomayor

By Michael Lopez

It's never too early to learn about the American legal system and this week on Sesame Street, young viewers got a taste of it thanks to Sonia Sotomayor. The Latina Supreme Court judge made a very memorable appearance on the show and even ruled on case involving Goldilocks and Baby Bear.

In a very cute segment, Sotomayor stumbles upon Baby Bear, a colorful Muppet who seemed to be in a bit of legal trouble. Baby broke the chair of Goldilocks and, as Sonia emphasized, it was now his responsibility to have it replaced.

But Sotomayor didn't just offer her advice, she actually threw on her trademark black robe and presided over the case!

"I always wear these robes when I hear a case,” she jokingly told the audience.

We actually think Sonia did a great job on the Street. Not only did she teach little ones about fairness and consideration, she showed off her very sharp sense of humor.

Did you catch Sonia's appearance on the Street? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Education, Muppets, Sesame Street, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, Television

By Michael Lopez

Looking back, July 2009 proved to be a difficult time for Sonia Sotomayor. Before getting appointed to her historic post, America’s fist Latina Supreme Court Justice had to deal with some pretty invasive questions.  Sonia recently spoke up about the difficulties of two-week confirmation process.

"There were private questions I was offended by,” Sonia said during a panel at the Northwestern University School of Law. “I was convinced they were not asking those questions of the male applicants."

It does seem rather odd for senators to inquire about the dating habits of a female Supreme Court Justice nominee when they don't ask the same questions of male nominees. But that’s exactly what happened, and Sonia believed it to be a double standard.

"I don't like people talking about my private life," Sotomayor said. "[I have] many single male colleagues who are judges who date often, bring dates to court affairs and nobody ever talks about them. I knew if I did the same thing, my morals would be questioned. So I'm very careful about whom I date and how public it is."

Speaking to law students and professors, Sonia explained the challenges and benefits of sitting on the Supreme Court. She also offered career advice for upcoming graduates and tips on how one can attract attention from state and federal judges.

But the biggest laugh of the day came when Sotomayor described just how much “information” the Senate Judiciary Committee was hoping to find.

"You know, and I don't mean to be graphic, but one day after I'd been questioned endlessly, for weeks at a time, I was so frustrated by the minutiae of what I was being asked about and said to a friend, 'I think they already know the color of my underwear!”

Are you inspired by Justice Sotomayor? Sound off in the comments or MTV3.

Tags Cultura, Education, Politics, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court

By Michael Lopez

Ok, so only a handful of Latinas made Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women List, but it’s still quite an accomplishment and (hopefully) very inspiring for future female minority leaders (especially since Michelle Obama ranked #1). Sonia Sotomayor, Today Show host Meredith Vieira, and Giselle Bundchen were just a few of the ladies of Latin origin that made the list.

Image: AFP/Getty Images

Ranked at #19, Sotomayor has made quite an impact in the past year. Since being elected to the Supreme Court back in 2009, she’s already chimed in on several important verdicts, including Miranda Rights cases and First Amendment issues regarding campaign financing. Coincidentally, the newest female Supreme Court Judge, Elena Kagan, made an impact on the list too, ranking #25.

Portuguese businesswoman, Maria Ramos, was the next highest Latina, coming in at #32. As CEO of South Africa’s Absa Group Banks, she had worked her way up from chief executive of the state-owned rail, pipe, and ports agency, to the director of the South African National Treasury. She’s self-made, highly educated, and VERY wealthy.

The next Latina to make a dent is Today Show host Meredith Vieira, ranked at #40. Also of Portuguese descent, Meredith’s built up quite a respectable media career. She’ got nine Emmys from her CBS News days, has a huge following from her work on The View, and also currently hosts Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Other top ranking Latinas include Argentinian president, Cristina Fernandez (Ranked #68), Costa Rican president, Laura Chinchilla (Ranked #83), and Brazilian model Giselle Bundchen, who scored #72 for the $25 million she raked in from endorsements and her designer clothing line.

Image: Getty Images

And how about the ladies who made the Top 5? Well we already mentioned #1 Michelle Obama, which is pretty obvious, being the First Lady and all. She was followed by the CEO of Kraft Foods, Irene Rosenfeld, Oprah Winfrey, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and our own Secretary Of State, Hillary Clinton.

Source: [Forbes]

Who are your biggest female role models? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Christina Fernandez, Cultura, Forbes, Gisele Bündchen, Laura Chinchilla, Maria Ramos, Meredith Vieira, Michelle Obama, Sonia Sotomayor

By Michael Lopez

Who knew that in between hearing pivotal cases on civil rights, corporate monopolies, and national security, Sonia Sotomayor and her fellow justices of the Supreme Court would be debating “Grand Theft Auto”? That’s exactly what will be happening November 2 in the California dispute over banning violent video games.

photo via Getty Images

It’s no secret that video game violence has been a hotly debated topic for years. Many contend that gun blasting, carjacking, and fistfights in the virtual world could lead kids to want to do the same in their real lives.

On the flip side, many major game companies argue that violent behavior in children can be traced more to their upbringing than what’s in their Xbox. They’ve contested that there’s very little evidence to prove titles like "Call Of Duty” and “Mafia II” contribute to negative behavior in kids.

photo via Gamespot

Either way, the fight’s now going to Washington D.C. thanks to new law signed by Cali governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His initiative would put a ban on the sale of video games deemed “violent” to any child under the age of 18 (with stiff fines for businesses that don’t comply).

He also wants to require violent video games to be packaged differently with heavy labels that would block the box cover art. Manufacturers challenged this law as “unconstitutional” and now it's headed straight to Sotomayor.

Now we’re not sure if she’s dabbled in any of the “Halo” or “Modern Warfare” games (she seems more like a “Tetris” person), but Sonia and her bench have a very big decision on their hands. One that could impact the entire video game industry. In the meantime, we’ll play neutral in the debate…and stick to our family-friendly Juanes “Rock Band” game instead.

Source: [Gamespot]

Do you think violent video games should be kept away from children? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grand Theft Auto, Politics, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, video games, Xbox

These are the people that you just couldn't get enough of este año. From Alex Rodriguez finally getting su MLB World Series Championship anillo to Sotomayor being the first Latina Supreme Court Justice to los mejores de la música, estos hotshots tuvieron un gran año en el 2009. 

Click here for the full list of people that stood out in music, telenovelas, politics y deportes this year.

Dinos que piensas of our 2009 Hotshots. Did we forget anyone? Do you agree with our picks? 

Tags alex Rodriguez, Best of 2009, Beyonce, Latin Music, Shakira, Sonia Sotomayor