WASHINGTON AP – Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s choice to become the first Hispanic on the U.S. Supreme Court, vigorously defended herself Tuesday against charges that her speeches and rulings show racial bias.

Sotomayor, almost certain to be confirmed to sit on the highest U.S. court, was responding to sharp Republican criticism of a 2001 speech in which she suggested a “wise Latina” would usually reach better conclusions than a white man without similar experiences.