Sotomayor touts bipartisan seating at Obama speech

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (SOHN'-ya soh-toh-my-YOR') says she liked the bipartisan seating arrangement in Congress this week for the president's State of the Union address.

Sotomayor answered questions Thursday at a Kansas State University forum that touched on the Supreme Court, the law and lessons she has learned throughout her life.

She was asked about comments by Chief Justice John Roberts that the president's annual State of the Union speech has become a political pep rally.

Sotomayor ducked that question but told a story of how one of her best friends is a defense attorney she faced early in her career as a prosecutor. She said people can disagree agreeably, and that she liked seeing prominent Democrats and Republicans sitting together for President Barack Obama's speech Tuesday night.