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Simple English definitions for legal terms

impeachment

Read a random definition: brevia formata

A quick definition of impeachment:

Impeachment is a process where the government can remove a public official from their job if they have done something really bad, like breaking the law or being dishonest. It starts with the House of Representatives investigating and deciding if the official should be impeached. If they are impeached, they go to trial in the Senate, where they can be removed from their job if two-thirds of the Senators agree. This process is only for important government officials like the President or judges, and they can still be punished by the law even if they are impeached.

A more thorough explanation:

Impeachment is a process used by the United States government to remove a public officer from their position. This process is not only for the President, but also for other civil officers, including Federal judgeships. The process involves a series of steps and procedures undertaken by the legislature, beginning with the House's impeachment inquiry and ending with a full-blown trial conducted by the Senate with the Chief Justice presiding.

  1. The House Judiciary Committee deliberates over whether to initiate an impeachment inquiry.
  2. The Judiciary Committee adopts a resolution seeking authority from the entire House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry. Before voting, the House debates and considers the resolution. Approval requires a majority vote.
  3. The Judiciary Committee conducts an impeachment inquiry, possibly through public hearings. At the conclusion of the inquiry, articles of impeachment are prepared. They must be approved by a majority of the Committee.
  4. The House of Representatives considers and debates the articles of impeachment. A majority vote of the entire House is required to pass each article. Once an article is approved, the President is, technically speaking, "impeached" -- that is subject to trial in the Senate.
  5. The Senate holds trial on the articles of impeachment approved by the House. The Senate sits as a jury while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial.
  6. At the conclusion of the trial, the Senate votes on whether to remove the President from office. A two-thirds vote by the Members present in the Senate is required for removal.

Impeachment was an established process in English law and government at the time of the drafting of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers incorporated the process, with modifications, into the fabric of United States government. The Constitution, however, only provides the framework-the basic who's, why's, and how's. The remaining procedural intricacies reside in the internal rules of the House and Senate.

Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution states that "The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United States" can be subject to impeachment. This includes Federal judges, but not House Representatives or Senators.

Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution states that impeachment can occur "for, and on conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors." This implies that the impeachment process is not tightly linked to the criminal law. The standard remains undefined, but the language suggests that criminal action may be required.

The House of Representatives has the power to impeach, which translates into the power to indict. The House, through the Judiciary Committee, conducts investigation and gathers evidence. At the proper time, the House assembles the evidence into individual indictments or charges known as Articles of Impeachment. Each article requires a majority vote of the House to pass to the Senate. The trial of the impeached officer is held in the Senate, with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding over the trial. A two-thirds vote by the Members present in the Senate is required for removal.

In 2019, President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate held a trial, but ultimately did not vote to remove him from office. This example illustrates the process of impeachment and how it can be used to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

impeach | impeachment of a witness

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RoaldDahl
16:05
dodged the mich r wave what does this mean
HopefullyInLawSchool
16:06
it means you will not be rejected today and may be accepted or WL in the future
Just got my Michigan rejection
BookwormBroker
16:10
same
RoaldDahl
16:10
@HopefullyInLawSchool: what if i already got rejected. does it mean anything
HopefullyInLawSchool
16:12
@RoaldDahl: Likely not however it could mean nothing
RoaldDahl
16:15
So if it means nothing does that mean something?
HopefullyInLawSchool
16:17
Possibly
RoaldDahl
16:26
Cool
RoaldDahl
16:26
thank you!!!! i hope it means something
pinkandblue
16:31
fart
IrishDinosaur
16:36
Mich R gang lesgooo
Did anyone else get that random get to know nova email?
HopefullyInLawSchool
17:21
Ya it was sent to all YM applicants
starfishies
17:37
Anyone get the NDLS email inviting you to apply for something even though they haven’t made a decision on your app yet
17:38
Better yet I got the email and I was rejected last month
starfishies
17:38
Wtf
starfishies
17:39
and the deadline is in like a week what is this
any cardozo movement?
BatmanBeyond
18:01
Sent a LOCI via portal, but I'm wondering if email would have gotten me a swifter response
BatmanBeyond
18:02
This whole hold/wait-list/reserve system is a headache
loci already?
BatmanBeyond
18:09
If the odds are like 1-2% I don't think it matters much by the numbers
12:11
I got the same NDLS email
OrangeThing
12:18
I think the user profiles are broken
19:29
Any word out of Notre Dame?
19:29
Only the invitation to apply for LSE
19:29
Anyone received a decision from NDLS?
19:50
when did u guys apply that just heard from umich? they havent even glanced at my app yet
0:30
how am i supposed to spy on people when profile links are broken?
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