1st woman in Supreme Court since 1999

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Gov. Mitch Daniels chose Tippecanoe County Judge Loretta Rush to fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court Friday. She becomes just the second woman to serve on the state's highest court.

Indiana is currently one of just two states without a woman on the Supreme Court and the governor says he wasn't oblivious to that as he considered the three finalists to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Frank Sullivan.

Loretta Rush was the only woman finalist but she also has strong credentials as an attorney in private practice and a juvenile court judge in Lafayette for 14 years. She said she feels no extra pressure because of her gender and that it won't be an issue moving forward, though she does say that diversity on the court is important.

"But," she said, "I'm very thrilled to be a woman justice on the Indiana Supreme Court."

Daniels downplayed her gender.

"I do believe she was clearly the best available choice," said the governor, "and would have gladly made it on an utterly blind basis or if there were already 2 or 3 women on the Indiana Supreme Court."

On hand for the announcement was Chief Justice Brent Dickson. 30 years ago Dickson and Loretta Rush worked for the same Lafayette law firm.

When asked about her approach to the law, Judge Rush said she has always enjoyed the opinions of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.