Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she hopes some of the court’s own rulings get overturned in her lifetime, singling out the 2024 decision that granted former presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution. She made the comments during a civics education talk at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate on Saturday, describing the country as stuck in what she called a rough patch for the rule of law.
“There’s some opinions that I hope in my lifetime will get overturned. The immunity case is one of them,” Sotomayor said, according to The Hill. The remark came during the same appearance at Mount Vernon where she addressed civic discourse and the court’s role in it, a talk also covered by The Independent.
A 6-3 Ruling That Still Stings
The decision Sotomayor referenced was a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines finding that former presidents enjoy at least presumptive immunity for official acts taken in office, per the same Hill report. Sotomayor dissented from that 2024 ruling, as did Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, according to the seed facts underlying this story.
In her dissent, Sotomayor wrote that the ruling made President Trump and his successors a “king above the law,” the Hill article notes. That framing echoed coverage at the time, with AP News summarizing her argument plainly: a president should not be a king above the law.
“A Rough Patch” For The Rule Of Law
Sotomayor described the United States as experiencing a rough patch for rule of law and civic discourse, according to POLITICO. She said fixing that would not happen overnight. “It’s going to take some hard work. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to put us back on an even keel,” she said, per the same POLITICO account.
She also predicted the court itself would eventually find its footing again, even without a timeline. “We’ll settle down, too. Not quite sure when. But we will. And a new order will be established,” Sotomayor said, according to the Hill’s report.
Push To Vote, Civics Work Continues
Sotomayor used part of her appearance to press the audience on civic participation, saying there is no excuse for not voting and that apathy is not acceptable, per the Hill’s coverage. The justice serves on the board of iCivics, the education group founded by the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the outlet reported.
Her comments at Mount Vernon reflect a hope for future change rather than any pending case or announced reconsideration.
