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Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's
newest justice Saturday, pledging during a brief ceremony at the
high court to defend the Constitution and administer impartial
justice.


      Sotomayor, 55, is the first Hispanic justice and only the third
woman in the court's 220-year history.

      She took the second of two oaths of office from Chief Justice
John Roberts in an ornate conference room, beneath a portrait of
the legendary Chief Justice John Marshall. Her left hand resting on
a Bible that was held by her mother, Celina, Sotomayor pledged to
"do equal right to the poor and to the rich."


      Minutes earlier, she swore a first oath in a private ceremony in
the room where the justices hold their private conferences.


      Sotomayor wore a cream-colored suit and her right ankle,
fractured in a fall a couple of weeks after her nomination to the
court, was unbandaged. 

Her 60 or so guests included Justice Anthony
Kennedy, White House counsel Greg Craig and other members of the
Obama administration team that helped prepare her for her Senate
confirmation hearings, family and friends.

      Roberts, wearing his black judicial robe, said that once the
oaths were done, Sotomayor could "begin work as associate justice
without delay."


      President Barack Obama scheduled a White House reception for
Sotomayor on Wednesday.


      The court is set to hear arguments Sept. 9 in a campaign finance
case. The entire court will convene the day before for a formal
ceremony to welcome Sotomayor.


      Sotomayor has been a federal judge for 17 years. Obama nominated
her in May to take the place of Justice David Souter after Souter
announced his retirement. The Senate confirmed Sotomayor's
nomination Thursday by a 68-31 vote.

      The oath that Sotomayor took in private is prescribed by the
Constitution and required of all federal officials. The second
oath, taken in front of a television audience, is spelled out in
the 220-year-old federal law that established the federal court
system.

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Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's
newest justice Saturday, pledging during a brief ceremony at the high court to defend the Constitution and administer impartial justice.

Sotomayor sworn in to Supreme Court

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