d.c. appeals court patricia and paul watford an appeals court judge in california. >> funeral arrangements for justice scalia are expected to be released soon. we will pass them along as soon as we get them. in the family wishes he could be -- if the family wishes he could be given the honor in supreme court's -- a decade ago. >>> a 15-year-old girl is in the hospital today. her mother dead after a crash last night in arvada. it happened around 10:00 near west 80th and sheridan. arvada police say the driver of a jeep ran a red light and slammed into the chevy malibu driven by the teenager's mom. three men who were inside that jeep got out, ran away but driver, 24-year-old jose sandoval cruz and another man a couple of miles away at 35th and pecos in westminster. police still looking for the other passenger who was in that jeep. they do believe alcohol was involved. >>> a mesa county deputy is being laid to rest today. this is a live look inside where the service will begin in about an hour from now for deputy derrick gear. last wednesday he was shot after he confronted a 17-year- old who m

d.c. appeals court sri srinivasan and patricia millett mentioned as possible successor. vice president b@den said the nominee could be a previously confirmed judge. >> there are plenty of judges who have, are on high courts already who have had unanimous support of the republicans. >> reporter: one obvious possibility, judge jane kelly of iowa unanimously confirmed in 2013 with the support of the judiciary committee chairman, republican charles grassley who just happens to be from iowa. >> i'm pleased to support her confirmation. >> reporter: tomorrow justice scale gentleman's funeral at bat sil can a. natural shrine of the immaculate conception with his son paull celebrating mass. pete williams, nbc news at the supreme court. >>> there's a lot more ahead for us tonight. the ackdown on hoverboards. the hottest fad of the past year in more ways thdn one. now the fed says none on the market is safe. what to do if you have one in your home. >>> also, the man who is now tasting freedom after four decades in solitary confi man: dear mr. danoff, my wife and i are now participat

appeals court judge, if selected he would be the first indian-american justice, and another is patricia millet on the washington, d.c. court of appeals. >> as we head into the thick of presidential hopefuls are not holding back. last night the feuds were flying. jeb bush verses donald trump and rubio and cruz hat had their own activity. over same-sex marriage, planned parenthood and immigration tactics and today the front runner is keeping the sparks going taking aim at president bush's decision to launch war in iraq. >> when jeb bush gets up and said we were safe under his brother, we were not, there were no weapons of mass destruction. the world trade center came down during his reign and sow can't see we were safe during his reign. >> republican candidates will next primary on saturday. >> and the florida python challenge is officially over. wildlife officials say over 100 snakes have been caught. the hunt aims to reduce the python population, which is an invasive species, and money will be awarded to the hunters who capture the most and the largest pythons. >> i thought it was a stupid idea but everybody seemed

court of appeals. patricia millett, d.c. and paul watford, african-american, ninth circuit court of appeals in california. the jusztices are now in their mid winter break. they'll be back on the bench in about a week. they'll face the task of finishing out this term without a full court for the first time in more than 50 years. thomas? >> pete williams at the supreme court. pete, thank you. >>> beyond the death of scalia and the emerging battle over choosing and confirming the next justice, the republican presidential candidates were question good a number of other key -- questioned about a number of other key and divisive issues in their debate in south carolina. as gabe gutierrez reports, it was their most combative debate so far. >> reporter: after a moment of silence for justice scalia came the most contentious gop debate so far. >> they lied. >> just been telling lies. >> why do you lie? >> liar, liar, liar. >> reporter: the words "liar" or some variation were used at least 22 times. 13 of those by front-runner donald tr

cement a leftist majority on the court for the next >> reporter: among potential nominees mentioned in legal circles, sri american, patricia millet on the d.c. court of appeals, and paul wattford from california. the justices will be back on the bench for n a week and will face the prospect of finishing without a full court for the first time in more than 50 years. peter? >> pete williams reporting for us at the supreme court. thank you. >>> the death of scalia and emerging battle over choosing and confirming the next justice, the republican presidential candidates were questioned about a number of other key and divisive issues in their debate last night in south carolina. as gabe gutierrez reports, it was their most combative debate so far. >> justice antonin scalia -- >> reporter: after a moment of silence for justice scalia came the most contentious gop debate so far. >> they lied. >> just been telling lies -- >> why do you supply. >> liar, liar, liar. >> reporter: the words "liar" or some variation were used at least 22 times. 13 by front-runner donald trump. >> didn't call anybody a liar -- >> you called ted cruz a liar. >> reporter: slammed by jeb bush

if she made it to the court that would make four women out of four men. and patricia millett on the d.c. court of appealsoften seen as an on ramp to the supreme court. that's why everybody on there gets some consideration or thought when something like this comes around. if the president wants to go with somebody a little older, he could look at merrick garland on the d.c. court of appeals, the chief judge appointed by president bill clinton. a moderate and like many potential nominees and many on the court, a graduate of harvard law school. some grousing about people saying it's all harvard and yale. maybe they should branch out here. maybe paul watford, 48 years old on the 9th circuit court of appeals, also appointed by president obama, but not unanimously approved. doing a job the white house would say is very credible. beyond that, maybe you look at adalberto jordan. also appointed by president obama. his family migrated when he was very young but has grown up here ever since. a lot of diversity in all the choices, and these are all just speculation. but according to a lot of court watchers, pretty g

. >> patricia and millis serve on the d.c. circuit court of appeals. >> another name that showed up on the list is new jersey senator cory booker. the 46-year-old served as the mayor of new york for the election in the senate. he was asked over the weekend on the campaign trail if he thinks about his name being quoted as a replacement and he said, right now i am focused on the people of new jersey. >> incorporated you so donald trump is backtracking on a controversial statement he made during saturday night's republican debate . he says after the attack in 2000 one , george bush lied about the destruction iraq. that comment got some loud boos from the audience. trump says he doesn't blame bush for the attacks but still thinks the war and iraq was a mistake . >> there was no weapons of mass destruction. i am not blaming anyone i'm just saying he went in there and thought there was weapons . they weren't there. the roaring crowd was from lobbyist and special interest group . >> the flights first officer decided to turn back as a precaution. audio is as

also, patricia millett, not sure how she pronounces it. currently, a judge on the u.s. court of appeals d.c. circuit who has argued more than 30 cases before the supreme court. also, merrick garland, the chief justice for the d.c. circuit who has been considered for nomination before and who also had a bipartisan support. he clerked for justice william brennan jr. president obama has named two supreme court justices in his term in office. >> thank you very much. >>> it is 5:14. an mba or law degree from cal will come at a hefty price for in-state students. tuition at berkeley state of law has risen sharply. in 2005, annual price, $24,000. now, more than $52000 a year for the law school and nearly $58,000 for the school. state cuts gave them no choice but to eliminate most of the price breaks for in-state students. that's why the lawyers charge so much. >> and it still takes them years to pay back all of that debt. pretty difficult. >>> the markets closed this morning for the federal holiday. >> scott mcgrew gives the silicon valley companies a nice break. >> tired of watching their stocks f

d.c. and jane kelly of iowa, confirmed as federal judges three years ago unanimously. also washington appeals court judges merrick garland, long on older at 63 and patricia millett, an experienced justice ginsburg. who would scalia choose to replace himself, there were clues in a dissent last june when he called for more religious and geographic diversity on the court noted all stewedied at yale and harvard, five catholics and three jews, not a single evangelical christian, four from new york city. >> reporter: law enforcement officials and the owner of the ranch where scalia died are completely discounting speculation about foul play saying a pillow found in his bed was above his head, not over his face and the reason replacing scalia is so politically fraught his death represents a seismic shift in a court that has had a conservative 5-4 majority for half a century. >> andrea mitchell, thank you. >>> another big story we're following is a monster storm dumping record snow to the north and spawning a tornado outbreak stretching well over 1,000 miles. nbc's blake mccoy with all the weather whiplash details now. >> reporter: this is one of 15 possible tor