Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has shared a personal story about her son's reaction to a bulletproof vest, illustrating the security challenges faced by the court's justices. Barrett recounted the incident during a recent appearance before a House appropriations subcommittee, where she advocated for enhanced security measures for the Supreme Court.
Barrett described receiving a bulletproof vest from her security detail around the time a draft of the court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was leaked. This decision ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade.
"I carried it into my house, put it into my bedroom, dropped it down on a table, turned around, and my 12-year-old son was standing in the doorway of my bedroom, and he wanted to know what it was and why I had it," Barrett told the subcommittee.
She expressed her unpreparedness for such a conversation, stating, "And I didn’t know how to respond because, maybe I lack imagination, but I didn’t expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was, and why I had to wear one."
The leak of the Dobbs decision in May 2022 led to heightened security concerns for Supreme Court justices and staff, prompting discussions about the adequacy of existing protection measures. The incident Barrett described underscores the personal impact of these threats and the challenging environment in which the justices operate.