Justice Sotomayor was quick out of the gate alleging discrimination and 240 violations of the Voting Rights Act in Alabama.  


When Bert Rein, the attorney representing Shelby County, commented that “the South had changed,” Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, responded, “Your county pretty much hasn’t.” She called Shelby County the “epitome” of why Section 5, which imposes the pre-clearance requirement on all or part of 16 states, is still needed.  One of the cities in the county, Calera, redrew political boundaries five years ago in a way the Justice Department rejected as discriminatory under Section 5. And Sotomayor said there were 240 instances of the Voting Rights Act being used successfully to block or dismantle discriminatory voting changes in Alabama.

“You may be the wrong party bringing this,” Sotomayor told Rein.

Alabama actually has had just one objection in 12 years.  One city council decision that got on the wrong side of the DOJ.  Yet all of Alabama and the country has to pay for the sins of Alabama 30 years ago for another 25 years.  Sotomayor was visibly angry, so angry she distorted the facts.