Sonia Sotomayor will trade in her usual spot on the Supreme Court bench for Times Square as she helps ring in 2014 by launching the famed ball drop.
Sotomayor, who is from the Bronx, has been granted the honor of pushing the button that drops the celebrated Times Square Ball at midnight, making her the first Supreme Court justice to do so. “Justice Sotomayor is an inspiration to many, and it is a privilege to welcome her to our celebration to ring in 2014,” said the Times Square Alliance president in a statement.
Another organizer of the event called her “an inspiration to everyone determined to achieve their dreams in 2014.”
Other public figures with political ties who have dropped the ball include Bill and Hillary Clinton and Colin Powell.