Topline
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been discharged from the hospital after a week-long stay, the court said Friday, ending days of speculation about the 73-year-old’s health after the court had declined to provide updates earlier in the week.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in … [+]
Key Facts
A Supreme Court spokesperson said Thomas was released from the hospital Friday morning, providing no further information.
The court announced Sunday that Thomas was hospitalized on March 18 with an infection after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” which it clarified was not Covid-19.
The court said at the time Thomas’ “symptoms are abating” and “he expects to be released from the hospital in a day or two,” leading to speculation about Thomas’ health after the court failed to release any updates in the following days.
Thomas was not present for oral arguments that took place this week, but the court said he would still help decide the cases on the basis of hearing transcripts and court briefs.
Tangent
Thomas’ release from the hospital comes less than a day after multiple outlets reported his wife, right-wing activist Ginni Thomas, repeatedly urged former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to continue efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The messages, which were turned over to the House January 6 Committee, were the first indication of Ginni Thomas’ participation in efforts to challenge the vote count, and raise new questions about Clarence Thomas’ participation in cases involving the election and the January 6 committee.
Key Background
Thomas is the longest-serving justice on the Supreme Court bench, having been confirmed to the court in 1991. The Supreme Court has a history of being cagey about justices’ health. Though the court regularly disclosed health updates about late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, NPR noted in 2019 that was a change from the court’s historical practices; Justice Antonin Scalia’s health issues were only disclosed after his death, for instance, and the court went a year without disclosing former Justice Anthony Kennedy had a heart stent put in. The court also took over a week to disclose in 2020 that Chief Justice John Roberts was in the hospital overnight after suffering a fall, and only did so after the Washington Post received a tip about the incident, the Post reported.
Further Reading
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Hospitalized With ‘Flu-Like Symptoms’ (Forbes)
High court won’t say whether Thomas remains hospitalized (ABC News)
Little is known about Justice Thomas’ hospitalization, part of a history of secrecy from the court (GRID News)
From Cover-Ups To Secret Plots: The Murky History Of Supreme Justices’ Health (NPR)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/03/25/supreme-court-justice-clarence-thomas-discharged-from-hospital-court-says/