Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, has been hospitalized again, as the Supreme Court hears cases in its first ever telecommunication session. Ginsburg has an infection caused by a gallstone, according to reports. The justice is expected to be in the hospital for “a day or two,” per her own statements.
Ginsburg went to Johns Hopkins hospital for a gallbladder condition on Tuesday. Prior, she had been subject to outpatient procedures that showed she had a gallstone blocking her cystic duct. This blockage resulted in an infection, leading to her hospitalization. Ginsberg says she expects to recover from the procedure shortly.
“The justice is resting comfortably and plans to participate in the oral argument teleconference tomorrow morning remotely from the hospital,” the court said in a statement Wednesday.
The court is currently in its first ever distance session. This week, the court has been hearing arguments over the phone, a historic first for the notoriously slow-to-change institution.
Similarly historic are the conditions surrounding this session of the Supreme Court. This is the first time the public is able to hear the oral arguments from the court, live. This has given the public a rare look at the highest court in the country. Prior to the pandemic, the Supreme Court would never have allowed recording equipment to broadcast proceedings live.
Thanks to the unique nature of the current session, Ginsburg’s involvement in the current case will not be impeded. Since all Justices are listening to arguments via phone, Ginsburg will be just as involved as her colleagues.
Ginsberg is no stranger to hospitalization. She has fought off cancer numerous times. Ginsburg has survived lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer, and has stated she has no plans of leaving the court soon. In prior interviews, Ginsburg has announced she intends to stay on until she’s at least ninety years old. Doctors and nurses in RN to BSN online programs have no worries about her aptitude for the role.
Speculation about Ginsburg leaving the court has been rife for over a decade. Ginsburg, who tends to lean liberal, has been a stumbling block for conservative initiatives throughout her tenure in the court. The current president, Donald Trump, has nominated two Justices to the court so far.
However, Ginsburg’s departure during Trump’s term would lead to an even greater conservative-leaning majority. Ginsburg herself has stated that she has no intentions of leaving her seat vacant in the next three years.
