Fact Check: Justice Sotomayor's dissent lasted nearly 20 minutes, a rare occurrence.

Fact Check: "Justice Sotomayor's dissent lasted nearly 20 minutes, a rare occurrence."

What We Know

Justice Sonia Sotomayor recently delivered a dissenting opinion that lasted nearly 20 minutes, which has been noted as a significant duration for a dissent in the Supreme Court. This event occurred during a ruling related to former President Donald Trump's immunity from prosecution, where Sotomayor criticized the majority opinion, stating it allowed a president to act as a "king above the law" (AP News). The dissent was characterized by its weighty delivery, with Sotomayor emphasizing her points through pauses and pronounced articulation (Politico).

Analysis

The claim that Sotomayor's dissent lasted nearly 20 minutes is supported by multiple sources, including reports from AP News and Politico. Both sources confirm the duration of the dissent and highlight its rarity, as reading a dissent aloud from the bench is not a common practice among justices.

While the exact frequency of lengthy dissents is not detailed in the sources, the context suggests that Sotomayor's nearly 20-minute reading is indeed notable. The Supreme Court typically operates under a system where justices may not read their dissents aloud, making this instance particularly remarkable.

However, the sources do not provide comprehensive historical data on the length of past dissents or the frequency of justices reading them aloud, which would be necessary to fully assess the rarity of this occurrence. Therefore, while the claim is substantiated by credible reports, a broader historical perspective is needed to definitively categorize it as "rare."

Conclusion

Needs Research. While the claim that Justice Sotomayor's dissent lasted nearly 20 minutes is accurate and supported by reliable sources, the assertion that this is a "rare occurrence" lacks sufficient historical context. More research is needed to compare this dissent's length and the practice of reading dissents aloud against historical norms within the Supreme Court.

Sources

1. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
2. Sotomayor's dissent: A president should not be a 'king above the law
3. Justice Sotomayor dissents on birthright ruling
4. Sotomayor reads her dissent again - Live Updates
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6. 「有期徒刑一年，缓刑两年」是什么意思？ - 知乎
7. Sotomayor still reading dissent - Live Updates
8. 知乎知学堂 - 知乎