When the news hit this morning that President Barack Obama was about to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, sports fans around the country probably thought, "Why do I know that name?"The answer is because Sotomayor has gained a little bit of fame over the past decade and a half for her involvement in sports-related court decisions.
In 1995, she issued the injunction that ended the Major League Baseball players' strike hours before replacement players were to take the field in official regular-season games. And when Maurice Clarett challenged the NFL's draft-eligibility rules and tried to enter the 2004 draft, Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled against Clarett, and upheld the NFL's minimum age requirement.
After being ruled ineligible for his sophomore season in 2003, Clarett, then a star running back at Ohio State, attempted to enter the 2004 draft in spite of an NFL rule that prohibits players from being drafted until they've been out of high school at least three years. A U.S. District Court ruled that the NFL's rule violated federal anti-trust law, but Sotomayor and her panel blocked that ruling, instead ruling that labor law in this case trumped anti-trust law and that unions had the right to collectively bargain this sort of age restriction with an employer.
But as Obama said today in his announcement, Sotomayor is more famous for the March 31, 1995 injunction that ended the baseball strike that had canceled the 1994 World Series. In that decision, Sotomayor ripped baseball's owners and commissioner Bud Selig, accusing them of unfair labor practices for scrapping the agreement that was in place because they were frustrated in their attempts to secure a new one.
So that's two sports collective bargaining cases in which the newest Supreme Court nominee has made significant decisions -- one on the side of the league, the other on the side of the players.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-26-2009 @ 4:34PM
glassesmkr said...
So we have her to thank for extremely overpaid ball players, thanks very much.
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5-26-2009 @ 6:11PM
rcbusic said...
Where does this come up in the article? I think you are putting an idea in the wrong context.
5-26-2009 @ 4:52PM
j said...
Well, it was a really BAD decision as far as the NFL's draft eligibility rules. And Maurice Clarett's life certainly went down the toilet after he lost the chance to enter the draft. Gee, thanks Ms. Sotomayor.
Well, so many of Obama's nominees were found to be tax cheats, tax dodgers, etc. I guess we have to wait a few days to see if this nomination will last.
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5-26-2009 @ 7:44PM
Gladys said...
Its about time he got it right. All the best Ms. Sotomayor.
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5-26-2009 @ 11:02PM
docandmillie said...
just another ivy league placement go figure....any lousy judge should be able to interpret law
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5-27-2009 @ 12:16AM
Josiah Boone, Jr said...
Sonia Sottomayer was one of 3 judges who decided to uphold the judges' admitted, fatally, legally flawed dismissal of a music copyright Infringeent case made by their peer, Judge George Daniels: Boone v. Jackson (Fabolous, the Neptues) et. al (Holla'back vs. Young'N Holla back/Holla back Young'n, Holla'back-Holla back Young'N(these were all the alternate names used to market their song). This dismissal was despite 9 admitted striking/significant similarities between these 2 pieces (www.hollaback.com).
Judge Sotomayer was the only Judge out of the 3 who did not ask 1 single question during Boone's oral argument. Our documentary Judicial Wrongz of Copyright Litigation will show the world the corruption involved in the so called Justice system and how the decisions made by these Judges clearly reflect the interests of multimillionaire defendants despite clear and convincing evidence documented, presented, argued and case law proving that their decisions are UNJUST!
Although an avid supporter of Obama and most of his decisions and my unwavering support of minorities and women being appointed to key positions, this appointment was extremely dissapointing for if her prior/future positions were anything like those presented in Boone v. Jackson et. al, there will continue to be Injustice for All Independent Artists or those without the resources necessary to fight these multimillionaires...
Gregory L. Hudson will Run for Justice on June 12, 2009 to protest these wrongful dismissals of Independent Artists cases which deny hard working, everyday American citizens their Seventh Amendment Right to a Jury trial of their peesr www.poorpennyproductions.com
WE WILL NOT SLEEP UNTIL WE GET JUSTICE FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS IN THE SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS; YET IS DOING JUST THE OPPOSITE.
NO JUSTICE.....NO PEACE
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6-11-2009 @ 11:42PM
elnpet said...
I think Obama is making another mstake in his pick for a Supreme Cour Judge. She may get n but once hhere might change her tune to what kind of a judge she really is. Obama is not to swift in his picks for any thing. Most of them get shot down for tax evation. Some Supreme Judges they would ave made, just like Judge Sotomayor. A dud.
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