Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

The Supreme Court says only that Justice Clarence Thomas was found to have an infection but that it was not from the coronavirus.

The justices returned to in-person arguments in October after more than a year and a half of telephone arguments. If he had, however, he wouldn’t have been the first justice to participate in arguments from a hospital. She ultimately missed six days on which the court heard a total of 11 arguments and returned to the courtroom for arguments the following month. Other justices have participated in arguments remotely since the court started its term in the fall and some lawyers have as well. At the beginning of 2019, when Ginsburg was recovering from cancer surgery, she missed arguments but participated in decisions based on the briefs and transcripts of the arguments. The court provided no additional information about the infection that put Thomas in the hospital other than to say he was responding to intravenous antibiotics. Rehnquist voted in most of the cases for which he did not attend the arguments. Sunday’s news appeared to be the first time the court issued health information about Thomas in that way. The court has said that all nine justices have received COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. Thomas is the court’s second Black justice ever and one of six conservatives now on the court. He said Thomas would take part in the cases based on written briefs and recordings of the in-court arguments. The high court announced Sunday evening that the 73-year-old justice had entered the hospital Friday after experiencing “flu-like symptoms” and underwent tests.