FACT CHECK: No, Sonia Sotomayor Has Not Been Sentenced To Death
A post shared on Facebook claims a military tribunal sentenced Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to death.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that Sotomayor has been arrested or convicted of any crime. The claim stems from a website that features “humor, parody, and satire.”
Fact Check:
The March 10 Facebook post claims Sotomayor was tried before a three-military officer panel at the Guantanamo Bay detention center and was sentenced to death. It alleges the charges brought against her included, “Treason, aiding and abetting the enemy, crimes against humanity, domestic terrorism, falsifying public records, money laundering, bribery, espionage, and sedition.” Her execution date was allegedly set for March 28.
There is no evidence any of this is true. Neither the Defense Department nor the Justice Department has issued a press release about the justice facing criminal charges or posted about the alleged sentencing on their social media accounts. There is likewise no mention of Sotomayor facing legal trouble on the Supreme Court’s website.
The text of the March 10 Facebook post originated with a March 10 article published by Real Raw News, a site that openly states on its “about us” page that it “contains humor, parody, and satire.” (RELATED: Was Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Recently Pictured Attending A Dinner With Democratic Leaders?)
The article about Sotomayor being sentenced to death appears to be a continuation of a story the satirical outlet published in February that alleged she had been arrested by U.S. Marines. Check Your Fact debunked that claim at the time. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has also been the target of satirical stories stemming from Real Raw News.