S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
FRIDAY
JULY 17, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
FREE
®
Vol. 21, No. 170
RO U T T
C O U N T Y ’ S
DA I LY
N E W S PA P E R
INSIDE
Explore: Your guide to weekend entertainment Page 21
SPORTS
Eyeing the big time Page 45
Seminar series kicks off
The New York Times’ Adam Liptak shines light on Supreme Court
Correction Children who attend Robin Richards’ day care center in Hayden are picked up and dropped off at a bus stop at Pine and Lincoln streets, not in front of her business. The story “Hayden not eliminating bus” in Wednesday’s Steamboat Today incorrectly stated the location of the stop.
■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Classifieds . . . . .53 Colorado. . . . . . .30 Comics . . . . . . . .51 Crossword . . . . .51 Happenings . . . . .7
MATT STENSLAND/STAFF
The New York Times Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak talks Thursday evening during a Seminars at Steamboat presentation at Strings Music Pavilion.
Horoscope . . . . .52 Nation. . . . . . . . .35 Scoreboard. . . . .50 Sports. . . . . . . . .45 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 World . . . . . . . . .42
��������������� �����������������
Brandon Gee
PILOT & TODAY STAFF
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
On her fourth and final day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor continued to emphasize a judge’s responsibility to apply the law to the facts, rather than make political decisions. That sounds great theoretically, The New York Times’ Supreme Court reporter Adam
■ LOTTO Thursday night’s Cash 5 numbers: 1-3-6-24-25 Drawings are held Monday through Saturday.
Liptak told a Steamboat Springs audience Thursday evening, but we have reason to be skeptical. Liptak spoke at the first installment of this year’s Seminars at Steamboat lecture series. He said the Supreme Court grew markedly more polarized in its most recent term, with conservative and liberal justices lining up against one another in 5-4 and 6-3 votes in about half of the court’s decisions. If the justices are objectively
■ WEATHER
Mostly sunny. High of 84.
Page 33
applying the law to the facts, Liptak said, “then why do they keep doing it in a predictably different way?” Liptak said the court under Chief Justice John Roberts is beginning to come of age and find its identity, which is a conservative one. Justices Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito “appear ready to move,” Liptak said. “The question is whether the swing justice, Anthony Kennedy, is ready to move with them.” Liptak noted that Kennedy
voted in the majority 95 percent of the time in the most recent term and sided with the conservatives in about twice as many cases. Because Sotomayor will replace liberal Justice David Souter if confirmed by the Senate, she will not tip the balance of the court, Liptak said. And because liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens are the most likely to retire next, President Barack Obama may not get a chance See Liptak, page 14
■ THERE’S MORE ONLINE For around-the-clock updates, breaking local news and sports scores, videos, photos and an interactive community forum, visit www.steamboatpilot.com.