On Sept. 26, President Donald Trump nominated his Supreme Court pick, Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett, in the Rose garden just eight days after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away from pancreatic cancer. Since then, many news outlets are reporting on the nomination, but not many people know much about Amy Coney Barrett and what her ideals are. Barrett is more on the conservative side of the political spectrum. Many of her views reflect conservative values, but how much do people really know about her views?

“I have obviously watched the news about her, I saw interviews with her, I saw the White House Rose Garden Ceremony about her. She has written a lot of important opinions for the appellate circuits. I have heard a lot about her and I know a lot about
what her stances are,” Assistant District Attorney Jordan Colalella said.

District attorney Jennifer Popovich has used her voice in a positive way as an attorney and she truly cares about politics. She likes
to speak upon them and voice her opinion.

“I know that Amy Coney Barrett is a conservative-leaning Federal Appellate Judge who has taught at the University of Notre Dame School of Law. Most importantly to me, she was a law clerk to Justice Scalia so she is well acquainted to how the US Supreme Court functions. She is Catholic and very pro Second-Amendment,” former First Assistant Beaver County District Attorney Jennifer Popovich said.

Barrett stood up for non-violent felons to be able to own guns. There are many different opinions on this topic within both parties. Attorney Lindsey Fouse gave her opinions on the matter.

“If you would have asked me this question before Sandy Hook or before a lot of the violent crimes that stemmed from guns and firearms and people with mental health illnesses and a whole broad range of people having the ability to have rights to guns without any real limitations or censorship, maybe my answer would be different but I think that my stance right now is that I would like to see some more limitations put on gun rights,” Fouse said.

Popovich believes the Second Amendment is extremely important, but certain felonies can lead to more violent crimes.

“If it is a non-violent drug offense, I would oppose that, as drug and violence are often tied to each other.”

Barrett will most likely sway the vote more conservative if she is appointed. Justice Ginsburg was on the liberal end of the political
spectrum, so Barrett’s appointment will be a big change.

“In a lot of ways I think that President Trump could hardly have found a more polar opposite to Justice Ginsburg,” Fouse said.

Popovich agrees but believes that a conservative judge is the best thing for the Supreme Court.

“Conservatives tend to practice judicial restraint, staying true to the constitution and to the Bill of Rights. They leave it up to the legislature to enact laws,” Popovich said.

If Barrett is selected to fill the seat, it will shift the court immensely. Though she cannot use bias against any particular case, the way she interprets the laws will most likely be extremely different than Justice Ginsburg. The public should stay informed on anyone who will represent them or this country. Watch the news, do some research, read some articles and stay informed.