"Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see"

This quote by Sonia Sotomayor speaks to the idea that personal experiences can shape the method a judge sees a case. It recommends that a judge's personal experiences can affect the facts they pick to concentrate on when deciding. This could imply that a judge's background, training, and life experiences can form the way they translate the truths of a case. For example, a judge who has actually experienced poverty might be most likely to sympathize with an offender who is dealing with poverty-related charges. Likewise, a judge who has experienced discrimination might be most likely to acknowledge the impacts of discrimination in a case. Ultimately, this quote recommends that personal experiences can have a substantial impact on the way a judge sees a case and the facts they select to concentrate on.