Chief Justice Leaves Hospital One Day after Seizure

WASHINGTON (AP) - Chief Justice John Roberts walked out of a hospital in Maine Tuesday, released a day after he suffered a seizure. The White House said he told President Bush he was doing fine.

Justice Roberts strode briskly out of the Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine, wearing a blue sport coat, open collar shirt and slacks. He waved to onlookers before getting into a waiting sports utility vehicle for a short trip to a dock, where he then took a pontoon boat to his summer home on Hupper Island, near Port Clyde, Maine.

Justice Roberts had no response when a reporter hollered, "How are you feeling?"

The chief justice, 52, plans to continue his summer vacation, Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said. She said that doctors found no cause for concern after evaluating Justice Roberts.

Justice Roberts was hospitalized after he fell on a dock near his home on Monday. He had a prior unexplained seizure in 1993. Mr. Bush had called Justice Roberts earlier Tuesday and press secretary Tony Snow said the president was assured the chief justice was doing well.

Mr. Snow said that Justice Roberts "sounded like he was in great spirits."

Doctors who examined Justice Roberts after his seizure said they found no tumor, stroke or any other explanation for the episode.

Justice Roberts told the White House of his previous seizure when Mr. Bush nominated him to the nation's highest court and "it was taken into consideration," Mr. Snow said.Justice Roberts also had physical exams which were forwarded to relevant members of Congress.

"He was very open about it," Mr. Snow said.

The spokesman did not know whether outside experts were consulted or whether Mr. Bush himself was informed at the time, but said it was determined that Justice Roberts had a clean bill of health and was competent to serve.