Professor Reynoso Interviewed on Role of Judge's Personal Experience by NPR
Professor Emeritus Cruz Reynoso was interviewed by National Public Radio's Michel Martin for a segment of the news program "Tell Me More" examining whether a judge's personal experiences should play a role in his or her decision-making. The issue, which has been raised during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, was put to Professor Reynoso, who as the first Latino on the California Supreme Court brought a unique set of experiences to the bench.
Professor Reynoso said that a judge's personal experiences "absolutely" should inform his or her decisions. "To think that a person could be appointed to the bench and not bring with him or her their personal experiences and knowledge frankly is ludicrous. It's expected that the judge will do precisely that."
A member of the UC Davis School of Law faculty since 2001, Professor Reynoso is an internationally known civil rights leader, the first Latino to sit on the California Supreme Court, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. He has been awarded the UC Davis Medal, the university's highest honor, and the Law School has established the Cruz & Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access to help students with financial needs.