THE BATTLE LINES OVER THE COURT’S FUTURE ALREADY BEING DRAWN.
LET’S BEGIN WITH PETE
WILLIAMS
>> Reporter: RUTH
BADER GINSBURG WAS
CONSISTENTLY ONE OF
THE U.S. SUPREME
COURT’S MODERATE TO
LIBERAL MEMBERS, FIRST
AS A LAWYER THEN A
JUDGE AND A JUSTICE,
SHE BELIEVED THE
CONSTITUTION
GUARANTEED WOMEN
GREATER RIGHTS.
>> OVER THE COURSE OF
NOW OVER TWO CENTURIES
IT HAS GROWN AND
DEVELOPED SO THAT MORE
AND MORE PEOPLE ARE
INCLUDED IN THAT
CONCEPT WE THE PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: REJECTED
AFTER LAW SCHOOL FOR A
SUPREME COURT
CLERKSHIP BECAUSE SHE
WAS A WOMAN SHE BEGAN
HER LEGAL CAREER AS A
LAW PROFESSOR AND PYRE
NEARING ADVOCATE FOR
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
-- SUE FOR SEX
DISCRIMINATION
IT WAS PRESIDENT
CARTER WHO FIRST
APPOINTED HER TO BE A
FEDERAL JUDGE.
>> SHE HAS GENUINELY
DISTINGUISHED
HERSELF --
>> Reporter: THEN IN
1993 PRESIDENT CLINTON
PUT HER ON THE SUPREME
COURT.
>> IT CONTRIBUTES TO
THE END OF THE DAYS
WHEN WOMEN, AT LEAST
HALF THE TALENT POOL
IN OUR SOCIETY, APPEAR
IN HIGH PLACES, ONLY
AS ONE AT A TIME
PERFORMERS
>>> AT HER
CONFIRMATION HEARING
SHE CLEARLY STATED HER
SUPPORT FOR THE RIGHT
TO ABORTION.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING
CENTRAL TO A WOMAN’S
LIFE, TO HER DIGNITY.
>> Reporter: AND AS A
JUSTICE SHE VOTED TO
UPHOLD ABORTION
RIGHTS
SHE WROTE THE COURT’S
OPINION PUTTING AN END
TO THE MEN ONLY POLICY
AT VMI, THE VIRGINIA
MILITARY INSTITUTE
SAYING IT WAS BASED ON
OUTMODED
OUTMODED STEREOTYPES
SHCHLT
SHE RULED, QUOTE,
DEATH IS NOT A
SUITABLE PUNISHMENT
FOR A MENTALLY
RETARDED CRIMINAL, SHE
ALSO VOTED TO ROLL
BACK BUSH
ADMINISTRATION
POLICIES ON THE WAR ON
TERROR, A BLIS TERRING
OPINION IN A CASE
ABOUT EQUAL PAY FOR
WOMEN RENEWED HER
STANDING AS A FEMININE
ICON
SHE WAS NICKNAMED
NOTORIOUS RBG, A PLAY
ON A RAPPER’S NAME AND
FEATURED IN A
DOCUMENTARY MOVIE.
>> I AM 84 YEARS OLD
AND EVERYONE WANTS TO
TAKE A PICTURE WITH
HE.
>> Reporter: SHE
MARRIED A FELLOW
STUDENT IN COLLEGE,
MARTIN GINSBURG.
THEY HAD TWO CHILDREN.
YEARS LATER SHE
RECALLED RECEIVING
SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE
ON HER WEDDING DAY.
>> IT PAYS, MOTHER
SAID, IT PAYS
SOMETIMES, TO BE A
LITTLE DEAF.
I HAVE FOLLOWED THAT
ADVICE WITH ONLY
OCCASIONAL OPTION, NOT
ONLY AT HOME, BUT IN
THE PLACES I HAVE
WORKED
AND EVEN IN RELATING
TO MY COLLEAGUES AT
THE SUPREME COURT.
>> Reporter: THE
PASSIONATE OPERA FAN
SHE APPEARED IN
SEVERAL WASHINGTON
PRODUCTIONS IN FULL
COSTUME, BUT IN SILENT
ROLES.
REGULAR CHECKUPS AND
EARLY INTERVENTION
HELPED HER RECOVER
FROM THREE SURGERIES
FOR COLON, PANCREATIC
AND LUNG CANCER.
AND DOCTORS INSERTED A
STINT AFTER
DISCOVERING BLOCKAGE
IN A HEART ARTERY.
SHE MISSED
SURPRISINGLY FEW DAYS
ON THE BENCH BUT NOW
THE COURT’S MOST
POWERFUL LIBERAL
JUSTICE IS GONE.
PETE WILLIAMS, NBC
NEWS, AT THE SUPREME
COURT.
>> AND PETE JOINS US
NOW.
PETE, WHAT MORE DO WE
KNOW TONIGHT ABOUT
JUSTICE GINSBURG’S
DEATH?
>> Reporter: THE COURT
SAID SHE DIED TODAY AT
HOME, AT HER HOME HERE
IN WASHINGTON, THAT
SHE WAS SURROUNDED BY
FAMILY MEMBERS AND
THEY SAY THE CAUSE OF
DEATH WAS PANCREATIC
CANCER, WHICH OF
COURSE IS WHAT
EVERYONE WAS FEARING
WHEN THAT WAS
DIAGNOSED.
THE CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN
ROBERTS HAS ISSUED A
STATEMENT TONIGHT.
HE SAYS OUR NATION AS
LOST A JURIST OF
HISTORIC STATURE
WE AT THE SUPREME
COURT HAVE LOST A
CHERISHED COLLEAGUE.
TODAY WE MOURN, BUT
WITH CONFIDENCE THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS
WILL REMEMBER RUTH
BADER GINSBURG AS WE
KNEW HER, A TIRELESS
AND RES LOUIS CHAMPION
OF JUSTICE, LESTER.
>> PETE, WE KNOW THE
CONVERSATIONS ARE
GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN
THE HALLS OF POWER
WHAT COULD THIS MEAN
FOR THE BALANCE OF THE
COURT?
>> Reporter: WELL, IT
LEAVES IT NOW A
SUPREME COURT WITH TWO
ISSUES
NUMBER ONE, IT’S A
TIED SUPREME COURT,
JUST EIGHT JUSTICES.
THE LAST TIME WE WENT
THROUGH THIS, AFTER
THE DEATH OF ANTONIN
SCALIA, THE COURT SAT
BACK AND DIDN’T MAKE
ANY IMPORTANT
DECISIONS BUT NOW YOU
HAVE A COURT THAT’S
WITH JUST EIGHT
JUSTICES, FIVE SOLID
CONSERVATIVES, AND
JUST THREE JUSTICES ON
THE OTHER SIDE
SO WILL THIS BE A TERM
IN WHICH THEY WANT TO
GO AHEAD AND TRY TO
MAKE AS MANY DECISIONS
AS THEY CAN AND
REMEMBER, LESTER, JUST
THE WEEK AFTER THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
THE COURT HEARS A VERY
IMPORTANT CASE ON THE
FUTURE OF OBAMACARE
AND THIS SUPREME COURT
COULD BE CALLED UPON
TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION, IF, AS IN