 Sotomayor generally kept a low public profile as a district court judge . She showed a willingness to take anti @-@ government positions in a number of cases , and during her first year in the seat , she received high ratings from liberal public @-@ interest groups . Other sources and organizations regarded her as a centrist during this period . In criminal cases , she gained a reputation for tough sentencing and was not viewed as a pro @-@ defense judge . A Syracuse University study found that in such cases , Sotomayor generally handed out longer sentences than her colleagues , especially when white @-@ collar crime was involved . Fellow district judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum was an influence on Sotomayor in adopting a narrow , " just the facts " approach to judicial decision @-@ making . 
