What Does It Take To Impeach A Supreme Court Justice?.......

[global1]

What is the process and who can initiate it? Just asking.

[rfranklin]

1. House of Representatives has to draw up the indictment...

It won't happen soon, especially since it didn't happen under the Dems.

[rfranklin]

2. Of course, the Repubs may impeach Sotomayor...

That would be just like them.

[Kennah]

3. Courage

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. The house impeaches

The senate indicts, just like POTUS

[Tx4obama]

6. They are the same.

'To impeach' is to bring charges,
and to indict is to bring charges.
So, I am not sure what difference you are pointing out.

The House brings the charges,
The Senate holds the trial.

A person can be considered 'impeached' (charges brought against),
but found not guilty in the senate trial.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States

[Stargazer99]

5. I think this is what needs to be done

but how to get it done!

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Who are youg goint to impeach...

Under what grounds?

[NuclearDem]

15. Justice Alito would be a good start

For violating Canons Two and Five of the Code of Conduct of United States judges.

[Winterblues]

8. Something the Democrats do not possess....courage.

:shrug:

[Nite Owl]

11. +1

[boppers]

9. Well, you need an actual crime, for starters.

Justice Douglas wasn't impeached because, well, there was no serious crime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O._Douglas#Impeachment_attempts

Justice Chase *was* impeached, but acquitted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Chase#Impeachment

[elocs]

10. It takes much more than is possible now. Reality sucks, doesn't it?

Remember Bill Clinton? Impeachment doesn't remove anyone.

[musette_sf]

12. Anyone remember "Impeach Earl Warren" bumper stickers?

I recall seeing quite a few of them in the working class Connecticut town of my birth.

Not so many in NYC, where we moved the summer Marilyn Monroe died.

[struggle4progress]

13. You have to have something egregious, that most people will agree is not "good behavior"

And whatever you've got, has got to be convincing, because whoever supports the justice will be screaming "This is a political witch hunt" 24/7 in all 50 states

[blue neen]

14. We could call Clarence "The Perjurer" Thomas and find out!

Of course, Ginny will probably be answering the phone. She'll have a lot more time on her hands since she stepped down from her post at Liberty Central.

http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/ginny-thomas-steps-down-from-liberty-central/

[cascadiance]

16. The Chief Justice of SCOTUS (John Roberts) would preside over a senate impeachment of president

Not sure if SCOTUS chief justice would preside over an impeachment trial over another supreme court justice though. Perhaps that is excluded to prevent bias entering in to such proceedings. Certainly wouldn't happen if we were to try John Roberts himself.

[onenote]

17. lower court justices have been impeached and the VP, not the Chief Justice has presided

The Constitution only specifies that the Chief Justice is to preside in the Senate when the President has been impeached. It doesn't specify who presides in other impeachment cases, but its been the VP historically.

[NuclearDem]

18. Yeah, exactly

The reason the Chief Justice presides in Presidential impeachment cases is because of the potential conflict of interest that could arise from the VP either being sympathetic to the President or wanting a promotion to the Presidency.