SAFETY FIRST

Justice Amy Coney Barrett: the Day My Son Found My Bulletproof Vest

The Supreme Court justice said her son’s initial response was “That’s so cool! Can I try it on?” His curiosity, however, shifted as he asked, “Why do you have a bulletproof vest?”

Justice Amy Coney Barrett said her family “adjusted just beautifully” to her joining the Supreme Court, but said the constant security presence of the U.S. Marshals has been a personal challenge, as she told the story of coming home wearing a bulletproof vest which her son then found. The mom of seven, whose time on the bench began in 2020, recounted her 13-year-old son discovering the protective garment after she had taken it off, admitting she was worried and wondered if she should have it from him. But, Barrett said, his initial response was “That’s so cool! Can I try it on?” This initial curiosity, however, shifted as he asked “Why do you have a bulletproof vest?” The associate justices’ anecdote came during a discussion at the 10th Circuit Bench & Bar Conference, mostly addressing personal topics, rather than the court’s contentious term. Barrett, who is among the court’s conservative supermajority, has shown a willingness to criticize fellow Republican justices and occasionally break with them. “On the court, justices are sparring over ideas, not one another,” she said at the event. “It’s not personal.”