Chief Justice John Roberts injured head in fall during walk, Court says

Chief Justice John Roberts was hospitalized overnight last month after suffering a head injury from a fall while walking near his home, a Supreme Court spokeswoman confirmed.

The incident was first reported by the Washington Post late Tuesday based on a tip from a witness. The court subsequently confirmed it happened June 21.

Spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said that Roberts, 65, was "walking for exercise" when he fell, injuring his forehead.

"The injury required sutures, and out of an abundance of caution, he stayed in the hospital overnight and was discharged the next morning," Arberg said in a statement.

Roberts has had a history of seizures, the most recent reported episode in 2007, when he suffered a fall at his summer home in Maine. In 1993, Roberts reportedly experienced a seizure while golfing.

Arberg said doctors have "ruled out a seizure" as a cause of Roberts' accident last month. "They believe the fall was likely due to light-headedness caused by dehydration," she said.

The National Weather Service reported a high temperature of 86 degrees in Washington on Sunday, June 21, which was Father's Day.

Roberts, who has been physically out of the public eye since the pandemic forced the suspension of in-person court proceedings, has presided over court business without interruption.

This term the chief has authored high-profile opinions blocking President Donald Trump's move to end DACA; invoking precedent to strike down a Louisiana abortion law; and, invalidating the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as unconstitutional.

The justices, which traditionally conclude the term on June 30, are continuing to release opinions in cases into July. Five more are expected, including a ruling on whether Trump will have to comply with subpoenas for his financial records and tax returns.