From the Associated PressRetiring Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard says the commission that will help choose a new Supreme Court justice should consider both men and women for the job. Shepard announced today that he’ll step down in March after a quarter century of leading the court. Shepard says it's important for public institutions like the court to reflect the people they serve, meaning they should include diversity in race and gender. Shepard will be chairman of the nominating commission that will recommend three candidates to Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. After Daniels appoints a new justice, the commission will choose a new chief justice from those on the court. Shepard says the panel will ``beat the bushes'' for a diverse group of candidates. All five of the current justices are men; one of them is African-American.Shepard was appointed to the court in 1985 and became chief justice two years later.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.