Jesse J. Holland
Justice Ginsburg hospitalized overnight, released
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, was kept at a hospital overnight after she became drowsy and fell from her seat aboard an airplane. Court officials blamed a reaction to medicine.
This is the second time Ginsburg, 76, has been hospitalized in the last month. She was taken to a hospital on Sept. 24 after falling ill at her Supreme Court office.
She was taken to Washington Hospital Center around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday by paramedics and released Thursday morning, court officials said.
Ginsburg, along with Chief Justice John Roberts and justices Stephen Breyer and Antonin Scalia, was heading to London to take part in ceremonies marking the opening of Britain’s new Supreme Court.
“Prior to the plane taking off, the justice experienced extreme drowsiness causing her to fall from her seat,” a court statement said. “Paramedics were called and the justice was taken to the Washington Hospital Center as a precaution.”
The statement said doctors attributed her symptoms to a reaction caused by the combination of a prescription sleeping aid and an over-the-counter cold medicine.
Ginsburg was still in Washington Thursday morning, court officials said. It was not clear whether she would still attempt to make the London trip.
Breyer, who was flying with Ginsburg and got off the plane, took a later flight to London. Roberts and Scalia had taken an earlier flight.
In September, Ginsburg became lightheaded in her office after receiving treatment for anemia, a common side effect of chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Although she was found to be stable after an examination, the court said she was taken to the hospital by ambulance as a precaution and released the next day.
Ginsburg’s health has been watched closely since her cancer surgery in February.
Doctors on Feb. 5 removed a small, malignant growth from Ginsburg’s pancreas. Doctors found no spread of it elsewhere, the court said at the time. Her spleen also was removed.
She returned to the court quickly and hasn’t missed a day of work since. In March she said the operation had been “a complete, successful, surgical removal” of the cancer. She also said she was to undergo chemotherapy treatment.
After the retirement in January 2006 of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Ginsburg was the only woman on the nine-member court until Sonia Sotomayor joined in August.
Nominated by President Bill Clinton, Ginsburg took her seat on the Supreme Court on Aug. 10, 1993. She had been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 1980.
Ginsburg is considered to be one of the reliably liberal votes on the closely divided court.
On the Net:
Supreme Court: www.supremecourtus.gov
Related News
Ginsburg briefly hospitalized overnight after reaction to medicine, released Thurs.October 15th, 2009 Ginsburg briefly hospitalized, released Thurs.WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, was kept at a hospital overnight after she became drowsy and fell from her seat aboard an airplane. Court officials blamed a reaction to medicine.
Justice Ginsburg released from Washington hospital following overnight stay and check upSeptember 25th, 2009 Ginsburg released from hospital, back to workWASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, made a quick return to work Friday after feeling ill at the office and spending the night in a Washington hospital as a precaution. The 76-year-old justice was released from Washington Hospital Center in the morning and was at her desk by early afternoon, the court said.
Justice Ginsburg, battling pancreatic cancer, falls ill at work and is hospitalized overnightSeptember 25th, 2009 Justice Ginsburg hospitalized; became ill at workWASHINGTON — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the 76-year-old Supreme Court justice who underwent pancreatic cancer surgery earlier this year, fell ill at work after a treatment for anemia and was hospitalized overnight. Ginsburg was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after becoming ill at workSeptember 24th, 2009 Justice Ginsburg hospitalizedWASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been hospitalized after becoming ill in her office at the court. A statement from the court said the 76-year-old justice was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m.
Biographical information on Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgSeptember 24th, 2009 Biographical info on Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgNAME — Ruth Bader Ginsburg. AGE-BIRTH DATE — 75; March 15, 1933.
Court statement about Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgSeptember 24th, 2009 Court statement about Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgThe Supreme Court's statement on the hospitalization Thursday of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was taken to the Washington Hospital Center at approximately 11:15 p.m.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after feeling lightheaded ill at workSeptember 24th, 2009 Justice Ginsburg hospitalized after feeling faintWASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized Thursday after becoming ill in her office at the court following treatment for an iron deficiency. The 76-year-old justice, who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in February, was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m.
Runway briefly shut at DC's Reagan National Airport after plane blows tire; no injuriesSeptember 9th, 2009 Plane blows tire at Reagan, no injuries reportedWASHINGTON — A runway at Reagan National Airport is open again after a brief shutdown when an American Airlines flight from St. Louis blew a tire on landing.
Airplane briefly hijacked as it landed in Mexico City, but all passengers and crew releasedSeptember 9th, 2009 Plane briefly hijacked in Mexico; Passengers freedMEXICO CITY — An airplane was briefly hijacked as it landed in Mexico City on Wednesday from the resort of Cancun, but all passengers and crew were released unharmed, officials said. Television images showed police leading at least five men from the plane in handcuffs.
Justice Sotomayor takes her seat at Supreme Court in front of Obama, Biden, familySeptember 8th, 2009 Sotomayor takes her place on high court benchWASHINGTON — Justice Sonia Sotomayor has taken her seat at the Supreme Court in front of a packed courtroom that included President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The ceremony Tuesday was just for show.
Small plane struck by 3 cars on California freeway after making emergency landing near airportAugust 23rd, 2009 Plane hit by 3 cars after Calif. freeway landingSANTA BARBARA, Calif.
Paris to Cardiff flight makes emergency landing at London airport, runway briefly closedJuly 24th, 2009 Emergency landing briefly closes Gatwick runwayLONDON — The runway at London's Gatwick Airport was briefly closed Friday after a flight from Paris to the Welsh city of Cardiff made an emergency landing. Gatwick spokesman Stuart McDonald said a FlyBe plane carrying 46 passengers and four crew members touched down Friday.
2 dead, 1 hospitalized in Washington state single-engine plane crashJune 29th, 2009 2 dead, 1 hospitalized in Wash. small plane crashYAKIMA, Wash.
Plane from Mexico held on Md. tarmac as officials examine 2 ill passengers out of cautionApril 29th, 2009 Plane from Mexico held to check 2 ill passengersLINTHICUM, Md. — Airport officials say 117 passengers were briefly detained on an AirTran Airways plane that flew to a Maryland airport from Mexico because two people on board were sick.
Capitol briefly evacuated, White House temporarily locked down for errant airplaneApril 24th, 2009 Capitol briefly evacuated, White House locked downWASHINGTON — The White House was placed in temporary lockdown Friday and steps taken to evacuate the U.S. Capitol after a plane entered restricted airspace.
Loading ...