Dressed up in handmaid attire, community members stood in front of the Federal courthouse to protest the confirmation of Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett.


What You Need To Know

  • Justice Amy Coney Barrett recited the judicial oath Tuesday in a swearing-in ceremony
  • Some Western New Yorkers protested the confirmation, but one local justice says it's too soon to judge Barrett
  • Protesters stood outside the Federal courthouse in handmaid attire saying Barrett is unfit for the chair

"I'm concerned for myself, my children, my friends, my family, the future of America is going in a direction that the overwhelming majority of people do not want it to go in," said Jennifer Page, who organized the event.

This wasn't the first time Page dressed up in the clothing from the Hulu show and best-selling novel, "The Handmaid's Tale," which tells the story of a totalitarian society that treats women was property of the state, without any rights.

"I stood out here for the three days during the Senate confirmation hearings," Page added.

Page also addressed some of the reasons why the group feels Barrett is unfit for the chair.

"She doesn't think saying the ‘N word’ justifies a hostile work environment, her stance on abortion is despicable. A person's right to choose is the lay of the land,” she said.

Judge Penny Wolfgang, who is a former New York state Supreme Court justice, says she feels people are judging Barrett based on her past and they're not giving her a chance.

"I believe it's not fair to judge or determine that this judge is going to do any different than any of the other judges have done in the past," Wolfgang told Spectrum News.

Judge Wolfgang added that she feels the points that Barrett made during her acceptance speech Tuesday are relevant: that her personal beliefs will not affect her duties while on the Supreme Court.

"I have no reason to doubt that this new judge will do the same as all other judges have done on every court in our country, which is follow the law, follow the Constitution, abide by their oath to be fair and impartial,” she said.