Sotomayor sworn in as first Hispanic justice

(NECN/ABC) – “I, Sonia Sotomayor, do solemnly swear.” And with those words, Sonia Sotomayor, took the oath to become the first Hispanic, and just the third woman, to serve as a United States Supreme Court Justice. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath at the U.S. Supreme Court building Saturday in front of a gathering of Sotomayor’s family, friends and various officials. “Congratulations and welcome to the Supreme Court,” Justice Roberts said. Video: Sotomayor’s swearing-in ceremony The fifty-five year old, who grew up in a New York public housing project and later graduated from Yale Law School, had served as a federal judge since being appointed by the first President Bush in 1992. “On this vote the yea are 68 and the neys are 31. The nomination of Sonia Sotomayor of New York to be an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court is confirmed,” Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said earlier this week. She was confirmed after nearly a week of testimony last month before the Senate Judiciary Committee. There, she faced tough questions from Republicans about her ability to be an impartial judge. But Sotomayor assured them she always follows the letter of the law. “Many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy, it is simple fidelity to the law,” Sotomayor said on July 13th. Sonia Sotomayor’s appointment has been a great source of pride for many Hispanic-Americans who view her as a role model for young people. One group of young New Yorkers, who were mentored by the justice, got together Saturday morning to watch the swearing-in. Next month, her fellow justices on the high court will welcome her in a formal ceremony. Then they all go to work in a special session to hear an important case involving campaign finance law. ABC’s John Cochran reports.