Justice Samuel Alito hospitalized briefly after falling ill during an event in Philadelphia on March 20, according to a spokesperson for the Supreme Court of the United States. The 76-year-old justice was treated for dehydration and later returned home the same night.
“Out of an abundance of caution, he agreed with his security detail’s recommendation to see a physician before the three-hour drive home,” the spokesperson said Friday.
Samuel Alito underwent a medical examination and received fluids for dehydration. Officials confirmed that he was thoroughly checked by his physician and resumed work the following Monday, participating in oral arguments as scheduled.
Alito has remained active in all court proceedings since the incident, including a recent case involving birthright citizenship.
The previously undisclosed episode was first reported by CNN.
Alito has served on the Supreme Court since 2006 after being nominated by former President George W. Bush. He is part of the court’s conservative bloc, alongside Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
During his presidency, Donald Trump appointed Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, shaping the current ideological balance of the court. Observers continue to monitor senior justices, including Alito and Thomas, for potential retirement decisions.
Other justices have experienced health issues in recent years. In 2022, Justice Thomas was hospitalized for flu-like symptoms, while in 2020, Chief Justice Roberts was briefly hospitalized after a fall.
That same year, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died following complications from pancreatic cancer.
In 2022, Justice Stephen Breyer retired during the administration of President Joe Biden and was succeeded by Ketanji Brown Jackson.