Can SC Justices be impeached?

[tsstranger]

Serious question, given the danger that the Roberts court has put this country in.

I mean, if a sitting president can be impeached for lying about a blow job, why can't a Justice or several Justices be impeached for an absolutly horrible decision?

[liberal N proud]

1. I believe they can

And in this case they should be. Their actions have put the democracy in peril.

[NJmaverick]

2. I wish they could, but I am doubtful it could happen

[madmax]

3. I missed Alito's gestures or whatever...

What did he do when Obama called them out?

[FBaggins]

4. Can? Certainly. Will? I doubt it.

Or rather "impeached" is a bit easier since the House doesn't require such a large vote... but to be removed? You would need quite a few Republicans to go along with it.

And I doubt that all Democrats are really all that upset at the decision. For many of them it ensures a nice long career.

[blondeatlast]

5. They can, but it's extremely difficult to accomplish. nt

[DrDan]

6. who gets to sit in judgement of the decision . . .

I know I know

We all hate it - even a significant number of RWers.

But any form of impeachment would require more than that.

[napi21]

7. Yes, but I believe it takes 68 votes in the Senate. n/t

[leveymg]

8. Remember "Impeach Earl Warren" bumper stickers? You're probably too young for that.

The Right-wing tried to impeach Chief Justice Earl Warren for years. They had some mainstream GOP support, but got nowhere near the number of votes needed in Congress to do that.

[theothersnippywshrub]

9. Gerald Ford said the House could impeach a Justice if they disliked his tie. n/t

[JHB]

10. It should have been done to Rhenquist...

...for playing politics with the Special Counsel law when it was in effect.

[Captain Hilts]

11. Gerald Ford tried to impeach William O. Douglas. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Yes-- the House decides what the articles of impeachment are...

and they can, in theory, be anything.

However, impeaching judges (the latest one is only the eighth) is difficult and has never been for decisions they made while in office, no matter how stupid. Being bribed to make those decisions is what got them in trouble.

Scalia, btw, has a history of being on the side of free speech every time it comes up-- iirc, he was on the side of the flagburners a while back.

(And, no, "being in the pocket of corporate America" does not count as bribery without actual cash passing hands.)