Justice Samuel Alito Hospitalized After Philadelphia Event

Philadelphia, March 20— Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was taken to a hospital on March 20 after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner held in his honor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Sources say the justice left the event early and was transported by his security detail to a nearby hospital where he was treated for dehydration. He was not admitted and returned home the same evening.

The court issued a statement on April 3 noting that Alito was hospitalized “out of an abundance of caution” following the recommendation of his security team. The public information officer declined to disclose a medical diagnosis.

Alito appeared on the bench later that morning to deliver the unanimous opinion in Olivier v. City of Brandon, a case involving free‑speech rights of a protester, before the illness struck him that afternoon. He participated in the justices’ private conference later in the day and returned to his Virginia residence later that night.

The incident has revived speculation about the health of the court’s older members. Justice Clarence Thomas was hospitalized in 2022 for flu‑like symptoms, and media outlets have closely monitored any signs of retirement or incapacity among the conservatives appointed by former presidents.