What We Know About Justice Clarence Thomas' Hospitalization
All eyes are on the United States Supreme Court as Judge Ketanji Jackson Brown's confirmation hearings begin in the Senate, according to AP News, filling the vacant seat left by retiring liberal justice Stephen Breyer. Brown would be the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the land if confirmed. President Joe Biden had previously promised that he would nominate a Black woman when given the chance to do so.
As those hearings begin in March 2022, the Supreme Court is making news in another way with longtime conservative justice Clarence Thomas, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate in 1991, Britannica reported. Thomas, who hit the headlines following the revelation that his wife, Ginni Thomas, attended the January 6 "Stop the Steal" rally in 2021, per The Washington Post, is now making the news for another reason regarding his health.
Clarence Thomas was admitted to hospital
73-year-old Justice Clarence Thomas was admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 18, after "experiencing flu-like symptoms." According to an official statement released by the Supreme Court on Sunday, March 20, Thomas "underwent tests, was diagnosed with an infection, and is being treated with intravenous antibiotics."
While there was no word on when he would be back on the bench, the court statement said his condition is improving, and he will still participate in case decisions. "His symptoms are abating, he is resting comfortably, and he expects to be released from the hospital in a day or two. Justice Thomas will participate in the consideration and discussion of any cases for which he is not present on the basis of the briefs, transcripts, and audio of the oral arguments," the statement added.
According to The New York Times, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said the hospitalization has nothing to do with COVID-19. All nine SCOTUS justices have been vaccinated against the coronavirus and two judges — Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — have previously contracted it.