Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Justice Martha Sosman dead at 56

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Most of us on this site probably know of Justice Sosman from her dissent in the Goodridge case. I imagine that most of us disagreed with her on that one (I know I did). That said, she was a true public servant and deserves to be remembered as such. I would like to relate a personal memory of Justice Sosman

I went to Concord-Carlisle high school, as did Justice Sosman. Each year, Justice Sosman would return to the school to judge the final round of the “moot court” competition, a project run by the history department. She always provided a great challenge to all the student participants (as she did for lawyers statewide), yet made the event into a wonderful learning experience for all those who were involved, participants and spectators alike. I know many students, myself included, admired and were influenced by her visible love for the nuances of the law and justice. She truly enjoyed returning to her old school and giving the students a tremendous challenge. It was a thrill for all the student competitors to be able to present a case for the judgement and critique of an SJC justice. Plenty of lawyers never get that opportunity.

We here at BMG may not have always agreed with her opinions. Nonetheless, the Commonwealth has lost a good citizen. Please keep Justice Sosman’s family and her colleagues on the SJC in your thoughts and prayers.

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Comments

  1. I have the deepest sympathy for any family robbed of a loved one by that disease.  56 is way too young.  Thanks for the personal story. 

    This year in America, more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year. If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.

  2. The way she left the SJC was unfortunate.  That she is not on the SJC is not unfortunate.  She was one of the dissenters in the Goodridge case relating to same-sex marriage, and in her association with the dissenters she expressly approved the bloviations of the well known homophobe and perjurer Paul Cameron.

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    That, she cannot be forgiven for.

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    If that’s the only way we can get rid of bad rubbish on the SJC, so be it.

    • I merely asked why someone came public with a very private matter. Then opined as to why. 

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      This, this is … well I won’t even go there.

    • It’s too bad Justice Sosman will be remembered for her dissenting opinion in Goodridge.  She was a much more complex and interesting person than she showed in her memorable but boneheaded opinion there.  The wingers villified her for her association with Planned Parenthood and Crittendon House.  She had a distinguished career as a litigator and judge.  I didn’t necessarily agree with her judicial philosophy, but she had a serious intellect.  I will never understand how she could have written the dissent she did in Goodridge. Sadly for her, it will be her judicial legacy.

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      I disliked that dissent as much as Raj does, but that doesn’t justify  Coulter-like praise for her demise. 

      • Good grief — I step away for a few months and come back to find trolls spewing venom! 

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        I disagreed with a number of Sosman’s opinions, but no civil person cheers when an opponent dies, let alone dies a painful, premature death.

      • I saw some of it….it was unfortunate. 

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        God bless the judge and her family.  What a pity. 

      • …the web site deletes comments when too many people don’t like to see them.

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        Good thing to know that censorship is alive and well in the lefty blogosphere.

        • this has been discussed ad nauseum.  read the “rules of the road”, in the left sidebar.

          • …what that means is that, if enough people here don’t want to have a series of comments displayed, for whatever reason, all they have to do is to conspire to give the series a low enough rating.

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            Fine.

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            Apparently, the proprietors here don’t realize that all people need do to avoid a series of posts is to scroll past them.  There is a scroll bar over on the right side of the browser window.

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            I do hope that you and the website’s proprietors realize that this “ratings” system for determining which comments are displayed and which are not is nothing more than a popularity contest, and operates as a way to discourage people from commenting.

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            I stand by my previous comments regarding Sosman, whether or not they are displayed.

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