SCRANTON, Pa. — The American flag outside of the Scranton City hall is being flown at half-staff, in honor of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg passed away on Friday night at her home in Washington at the age of 87.
She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme court and was a pioneering advocate for women's rights.
The passing of the Justice has left many devastated in our area including, retired Judge Joseph Cosgrove of Pittston.
"I've lost a friend and I've lost a mentor and I last night with tears was thinking, knowing she had suffered so much and how long could she go on. I always thought she would continue," said Joseph Cosgrove, a retired judge on the Commonwealth Court.
Cosgrove served on the commonwealth court, met Justice Ginsburg shortly after she joined the Supreme Court, through a mutual friend.
The retired Judge taught constitutional law at King's College for over 30 years.
He would often take his students to the Supreme court in Washington D.C, to hear oral arguments for class.
"And every time Justice Ginsburg when I've asked she's invited the students back to chambers right after the argument and they don't expect this, but she starts to grill them on the case that they have just watched and just studied," said Cosgrove.
Cosgrove also said that Justice Ginsburg was a great teacher. =
"She helped me approach things as a judge that I don't think I would have had the knowledge or the experience to do otherwise," said Cosgrove.
Now Pancreatic cancer advocates are using the passing of the Supreme Court Justice as a wake-up call to know and understand the symptoms.
"The five-year survival rate is just 10 percent and believe it or not that same percentage has come a long way with research, but hopefully, that raises some eyebrows about some risks and symptoms," said Dan LaMagna, NEPA Affiliate chair at Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
