Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., today will hold the Democrats' third press conference touting Sonia Sotomayor's record on criminal law cases. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., held one last month with two Hispanic groups, and Vice President Joe Biden hosted one at the White House a few weeks prior to that with eight major law enforcement agencies in attendance.

This latest presser, scheduled for 11:30 this morning, will include organizations from both previous events, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Latino Peace Officers Association.

So why are the administration and Senate Democrats holding so many events about Sotomayor's record on criminal law cases? Legal experts say the issue is one that resonates with most Americans. Conservative groups, not surprisingly, see the press conferences as a way of distracting from Sotomayor's views on more controversial issues. "Her judicial philosophy looks through a race-colored lens, and that raises doubts about her ability to inflict equal justice on law and order issues," Gary Marx, executive director of the Judicial Confirmation Network, told this blog several weeks ago.