Manuel (Manny) Medrano is the only Hispanic journalist ever to have covered the Supreme Court as his regular news beat. From 2004 to 2008, he worked in Washington, D.C., as Supreme Court/legal affairs correspondent for the ABC News network, giving him a front seat to the confirmations of Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts. Prior to that, he reported on legal affairs for that network’s Los Angeles affiliate. Among his journalism awards are an Emmy and a Golden Mike for his coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial.

   He has also been a law professor and litigator, successfully bringing to justice drug cartel leaders in the torture/murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique  Camarena.

 Currently an anchor for KTLA News in Los Angeles, Medrano has reported the news for ABC, KTTV and KNBC.

   Here Manny Medrano provides Hispanic Link reporter Erick Galindo his perspectives on what’s ahead for Sonya Sotomayor as this nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

   “Bottom-line,” he says, “this is an historic confirmation. Everyone in the legal community has known of her for years. She’s a legal rock star.

   Erick Galindo: What are some of her qualifications that stand out to you?

   Medrano: She has the ideal temperament. She’s incredibly smart. She has credentials that surpass those of Samuel Alito, the last justice appointed. She will make a wonderful addition to the Court.

   Galindo: How do you believe her presence, replacing retiring Justice David Souter, will affect the Court?

   Medrano: I don’t think she will change it in any dramatic way. Keep in mind that the record for someone new to the Supreme Court takes years to develop. Her judicial philosophy will not be delineated in her first couple of years. Frankly it’s an even trade.

   Galindo: You mean her replacing retiring Justice Souter?

   Medrano: Even though I think Sotomayor is more moderate than Souter, I still believe she will fall into the liberal bloc, which currently consists of four justices.And you have four justices in the moderate block, with Justice Kennedy being the swing vote that can change decisions one way or another.

   Galindo: Well then, what was all this talk about activist judges?

   Medrano: Despite claims by Republicans, the vast majority of whom voted against her, when all’s said and done, you will find that she is a moderate. Her 17-year-record on the bench indicates that she is a moderate in terms of a variety of legal issues.  

   Galindo: What do you feel is the general feeling in the media and in the public now that she has taken the oath?

   Medrano: Speaking as both a journalist and a member of the public, I’m really excited. The public should be pleased because perhaps for the first time, you have a justice who seems ready to move in the direction of allowing a camera in the Court room for oral arguments.

   Editor’s Note: For the first time in the Court’s history, live broadcast coverage was allowed for her Aug. 8 swearing-in ceremony

   Galindo: What indications are there that she might move that way?

   Medrano: There were two swearing-in processes. One private, one with her immediate family, and then again with reporters and cameras present. Because that has never happened in the history of the Supreme Court, I think it bodes well for letting cameras in the court.

   Galindo: Are there advantages to having cameras in the court?

   Medrano: It’s all about transparency. Currently you can request transcripts and audio tapes after the fact, but none of that is satisfactory, especially since those rulings impact every citizen here. The taxpayer supports the Court and taxpayers deserve to see what goes on in there.

   (Erick Galindo is a reporter with Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. Email: [email protected])

   ©2009