FROM
FROM INDY. YOU'RE WATCHING 13 NEWS AND WE'LL GET TO ALL THOSE STORIES IN A MOMENT. BUT FIRST
TONIGHT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE BIG BATTLE THAT IS
UNFOLDING OVER THIS SUPREME
COURT VACANCY SINCE THE DEATH
OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG. WE'VE
SEEN ALL OF THIS BACK AND FORTH
OVER WHO SHOULD PICK THE NEXT
JUSTICE AND WHO THAT JUSTICE
SHOULD BE. A WOMAN WITH ROOTS
HERE IN INDIANA IS AMONG THE
FRONT RUNNERS TONIGHT FACTBOX
ASSOCIATED PRESS AS AMY CONEY
BARRET MET WITH THE PRESIDENT
AT THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY. NOW
IF YOU'VE NOT HEARD HER NAME
BEFORE, DON'T WORRY. IN
TONIGHT'S BIG STORY WE'RE
DIGGING INTO HER HISTORY NOT
ONLY AS A HOOSIER BUT AS A
FEDERAL JUDGE. WE'LL LOOK AT
HER MAJOR RULINGS AND SHARE THE
STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO'VE WORKED
AND LEARN BY HER SIDE. FEDERAL
APPELLATE COURT JUDGE AMY
KEARNEY BERA. ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS SAY THE FRONTRUNNER
IS JUDGE AMY CONEY BERRA AND AT
THE TOP OF THE LIST WE'RE TOLD
IS JUDGE AMY CONEY BARRET. BY
NOW YOU'VE HEARD HER NAME AND
SEEN HER PICTURE BUT WHO
EXACTLEY IS JUDGE AMY CONEY
BARRETT. I'VE KNOWN AMY EVER
SINCE SHE WAS A STUDENT. PAOLO
CAROZZO IS A LAW PROFESSOR AT
NOTRE DAME. SHE'S KIND
UNFAILINGLY SO LISTENS
CAREFULLY TO PEOPLE, TAKES
EVERYTHING SERIOUSLY, THINKS
HARD FROM A FORMER STUDENT.
THERE WERE STUDENTS THAT HAD
VERY DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW
WHEN IT CAME TO A
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. AND SHE
WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO THE
ACCOMDATING OF THEM AND TO
FACILITATE OPEN CONVERSATION IN
2018. JUDGE BARRETT WAS HONORED
AS A DISTINGUISHED TEACHER
OF THE YEAR. SHE SPOKE TO
GRADUATES ABOUT THE POWER
OF THEIR WORDS. WHAT YOU SAY
REFLECTS WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT
YOU BELIEVE AND NOT EVERYONE
WILL LOVE WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT
YOU BELIEVE BUT HAVE THE
COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS.
REPUBLICANS HAVE PRAISED HER AS
AN IDEOLOGICAL HEIR TO THE LATE
JUSTICE SCALIA. LIBERALS HAVE
ARGUED HER LEGAL VIEWS ARE TOO
INFLUENCED BY HER CATHOLIC
BELIEFS. HOW YOU RESPOND TO
THAT CLAIM? I THINK IT'S
COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED TO SAY
THAT HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
WHICH SHAPED HER DECISIONS IN
ANY WAY THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE
FRIENDS SAY EVEN THOUGH SHE'S
NOW A FEDERAL COURT JUDGE IN
CHICAGO, SHE COMMUTES
FROM SOUTH BEND, THE PLACE SHE,
HER HUSBAND AND THEIR SEVEN
CHILDREN CALL HOME. I THINK
THAT TELLS A LOT ABOUT WHAT SHE
IS WHO SHE IS. SHE'S NOT A
PERSON WAS DRIVEN BY AMBITIONS
TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO
SACRIFICE WHATEVER IT TAKES
THEM. HER FAMILY AND HER LIFE
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THINGS. SHE
LIVES A BALANCED LIFE THAT IS
FULL OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AND
NOT JUST WORK. AND HERE'S SOME
MORE BACKGROUND ON AMY CODY
BARRETT'S CAREER SHE GREW UP IN
NOR ELEX GRADUATED FROM RHODES
LITERATURE. SHE EARNED HER LAW
DEGREE FROM NOTRE DAME AND
CLERKED FOR U.S. SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA. SHE
ALSO WORKED AT A LAW FIRM IN
D.C. BEFORE BECOMING A FEDERAL
APPELLATE JUDGE. HER EXPERTISE
IS IN THE FEDERAL COURTS AND
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. ABORTION
RIGHTS GROUPS WORRY THAT
BARRETT WOULD HELP OVERTURN ROE
V. WADE. THAT'S THE CASE THAT
LEGALIZED ABORTION NATIONWIDE.
BARRETT HAS NEVER RULED ON
ABORTION ITSELF, BUT SHE HAS
CAST VOTES OPPOSING RULINGS
THAT STRUCK DOWN ABORTION
RELATED RESTRICTIONS. FOR
EXAMPLE, BACK IN 2016 OUR STATE
PASSED A LAW REQUIRING BURIAL
OR CREMATION FOR FETAL REMAINS
AFTER AN ABORTION. THE LAW WAS
RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BUT
BARRETT VOTED IN FAVOR
OF REHEARING THE CASE.
ULTIMATELY SHE WAS OUTNUMBERED
BUT THE SUPREME COURT LATER
REINSTATED THE LAW. NOW THE
PRESIDENT SAYS HE'LL ANNOUNCE
HIS NOMINEE FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
MCCONNELL IS ALREADY PROMISING
A VOTE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
NOW THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE
ABOUT THIS ISSUE. SOME PEOPLE
SAY WHOEVER WINS THE SHE SHOULD
BE THE ONE TO PICK THE NOMINEE
WHICH WAS JUSTICE GINSBURG'S.
OTHERS ARE UPSET TONIGHT THAT
SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE NOW
PUSHING TO CONFIRM A NEW
JUSTICE DURING AN ELECTION
YEAR. YOU KNOW, BACK IN 2016 A
BLOCKED PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
NOMINEE FOR THE SAME REASON
BOTH OF INDIANA'S CURRENT
SENATORS MIKE BROWN AND TODD
YOUNG WERE NOT IN THE SENATE
WHEN THAT HAPPENED. NOW WE'VE
REACHED OUT TO BOTH SENATORS TO
SEE WHERE THEY STAND ON THIS
ISSUE TONIGHT RON TOLD US. HE
SUPPORTS A VOTE. YOUNG HAS NOT
ANSWERED OUR QUESTION HAVE FOR
REPUBLICANS. SENATORS ALREADY
SAID THEY WON'T VOTE FOR A
SUPREME COURT NOMINEE UNTIL
AFTER THE ELECTION. THAT'S A
VIRAL CLAIM THAT YOU ASKED US
TO LOOK INTO. SO LET'S VERIFY
TONIGHT. HERE'S OUR JASON
PUCKETT. THE VIRAL CLEAN LOOKS
LIKE THIS QUOTE FOR REPUBLICAN
SENATORS NOW ON BOARD. NO VOTE
UNTIL JANUARY ON SUPREME COURT.
THEN LIST REPUBLICAN SENATORS
MURKOWSKI, ROMNEY, COLLINS AND
GRASSLEY. RIGHT NOW THE SENATE
HAS 53 REPUBLICANS IN 45
DEMOCRATS. IT WOULD TAKE AT
LEAST FOUR REPUBLICAN SENATORS
VOTING AGAINST THEIR PARTY TO
STOP A NOMINEE FROM BEING
CONFIRMED. THIS CLAIM MAKES IT
SEEM LIKE A DONE DEAL. BUT IT'S
NOT QUITE THAT SIMPLE. LET'S
START WITH ALASKA SENATOR LISA
MURKOWSKI. SHE PUT OUT THIS
STATEMENT SAYING SHE DOES NOT
SUPPORT TAKING UP A POTENTIAL
SUPREME COURT VACANCY. THIS
CLOSE TO THE ELECTION ADDING
THAT SHE HAD THE SAME STANCE
WHEN IT CAME TO FILLING JUSTICE
ANTONIN SCALIA'S SEAT IN 2016
AND THAT QUOTE THE SAME
STANDARD MUST APPLY. SO SHE IS
AGAINST HAVING A VOTE BUT
HASN'T SAID WHAT SHE'D DO IF
ONE HAPPENS ANYWAY NEXT. UTAH
SENATOR MITT ROMNEY, HE
RELEASED A STATEMENT
OF CONDOLENCES AFTER GINSBURG'S
DEATH. BUT THAT'S IT. A UTAH
POLITICIAN ROMNEY WILL NOT
CONFIRM A NOMINEE UNTIL THE
INAUGURATION, BUT ROMNEY'S
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SAID
THIS CLAIM WAS FALSE. HE HASN'T
SAID WHAT HE WILL DO AT THIS
POINT NEXT. MAINE SENATOR SUSAN
COLLINS, SHE PUT OUT THIS
STATEMENT SAYING SHE DOES NOT
BELIEVE THE SENATE SHOULD VOTE
ON THE NOMINEE PRIOR TO THE
ELECTION AND THAT THE NOMINEE
SHOULD BE PICKED QUOTE BY THE
PRESIDENT WHO WAS ELECTED ON
NOVEMBER 3RD. LIKE MURKOWSKI,
SHE'S AGAINST HAVING THE VOTE
RIGHT NOW BUT HASN'T SAID WHAT
SHE'LL DO IF ONE IS STILL HELD.
AND FINALLY, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK
GRASSLEY, HE SHARED CONDOLENCES
AFTER GINSBURG'S DEATH AND
LATER AFFIRMING HE BELIEVES THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY AND PRESIDENT
TRUMP ARE WITHIN THEIR
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FILL
THE SEAT. WHILE SOME OF THESE
SENATORS ARE AGAINST HOLDING A
VOTE, NONE OF THEM HAVE SAID
WHAT THEY WILL DO IF A VOTE IS
HELD BEFORE THE ELECTION OR
INAUGURATION. SO RIGHT NOW THIS
CLAIM IS FALSE. IF YOU'RE
SEEING OTHER CLAIMS OF RUMORS
LIKE THESE, SEND US AN E-MAIL.
WE'LL CHECK THEM OUT BUT
VERIFY. I'M JASON PUCKETT. AS
THIS DEBATE PLAYS OUT OVER THIS
VACANCY, MEMORIAL SERVICES ARE
NOW IN THE WORKS FOR JUSTICE
GINSBURG PUBLIC VIEWINGS BEGAN
ON WEDNESDAY WITH HER BURIAL
SET FOR NEXT WEEK. WE'RE GOING
TO BE STREAMING ANY PUBLIC
SERVICES THAT WE CAN AS THEY
HAPPEN ON OUR WTA JAR APP LATER
THIS WEEK. THERE YOU CAN ALSO
FIND UPDATES IN THE