Justice Clarence Thomas Hospitalized With Flulike Signs, Court docket Says

Justice Clarence Thomas, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Supreme Court docket, was hospitalized with an an infection on Friday after experiencing flulike signs, the courtroom mentioned in a statement on Sunday.

Justice Thomas was being handled with intravenous antibiotics at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, the assertion mentioned.

“His signs are abating, he’s resting comfortably, and he expects to be launched from the hospital in a day or two,” it mentioned.

Patricia McCabe, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court docket, mentioned that Justice Thomas’s sickness was not Covid-19 or associated to the coronavirus.

The assertion mentioned that Justice Thomas would “take part within the consideration and dialogue of any instances for which he isn’t current on the premise of the briefs, transcripts and audio of the oral arguments.”

The entire 9 Supreme Court docket justices have been vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19. No less than two justices, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett M. Kavanaugh, have beforehand contracted the virus. Justices are repeatedly examined for the virus, in accordance with courtroom protocol.

Justice Thomas, 73, was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and was seated on Oct. 23, 1991, making him the courtroom’s most senior conservative member. He’s its second-oldest member, after Justice Stephen G. Breyer, 83, who in January announced his retirement.

In his resignation letter, Justice Breyer mentioned he meant to retire after the courtroom accomplished its present time period this summer time, usually in late June or early July, “assuming that by then my successor has been nominated and confirmed.”

Decide Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, President Biden’s nominee to interchange Justice Breyer, serves on the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She was nominated to that place final yr by Mr. Biden.

On Monday, the identical day that the Supreme Court docket reconvenes, the Senate Judiciary Committee will open its hearings on her nomination.

Few Republicans are anticipated to assist Decide Jackson, echoing her federal appeals courtroom nomination, wherein solely three Republicans voted for her affirmation.

Within the days main as much as the beginning of the committee hearings for her Supreme Court docket bid, conservative lawmakers — together with the Senate minority chief, Mitch McConnell; and Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri— have escalated criticism about Decide Jackson’s file as a public defender.

If confirmed, she could be the primary Black girl to function a Supreme Court docket justice.

Adam Liptak contributed reporting.