The Senate Judiciary Committee held its third day of hearings on the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court seat vacated by the retirement of Justice David Souter. Committee members began a second round of questioning with each member allotted 20 minutes to question the nominee.

Part 4 of 5 consisted of questions from Senators Leahy, Sessions, Kohl and Hatch. Questions focused on the value of diversity on the Supreme Court, the right to counsel, the Second Amendment right to bear arms, the right to privacy, the role of appellate courts, judicial “empathy,” as well as judicial precedent and when the court should depart from prior precedent.