Can a Supreme Court Justice be impeached by Congress?

[Demoiselle]

I was a government major in college (Big Woop, I know) but I can't remember.
It would make sense if they were invulnerable, in terms of division of powers. On the other hand...I'm gettin' real real tired of Scalia's shenanigans. And Clarence Thomas is apparently fudging his taxes...among other things.
Anybody?

[aquart]

1. Yes.

But I was told here on DU that it wasn't his taxes, it was a financial relationship. I do not know what that means.

[Sal Minella]

13. He wasn't evading paying taxes by not reporting income --

it was a government employee financial disclosure form -- presumably to ferret out inappropriate sources of income in a federal employee's household --

This response to my confusion was very helpful:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4706096&mesg_id=4706413

[yourout]

2. Can they?...Yes, Should they be?...Yes, Will they be?....not a chance.

[UrbScotty]

3. Yep. Samuel Chase in 1804.

[William769]

4. The House of Representitives has the power to impeach a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Will it happen with this Congress? NOT!

[Demoiselle]

7. Thanks everyone.

[Ineeda]

5. Yes, from Ask.com:

A Supreme Court Justice may be impeached by the House of Representatives and removed from office if convicted in a Senate trial, but only for the same types of offenses that would trigger impeachment proceedings for any other government official under Articles I and II of the Constitution.

Article III, Section 1 states that judges of Article III courts shall hold their offices "during good behavior." "The phrase "good behavior" has been interpreted by the courts to equate to the same level of seriousness 'high crimes and misdemeanors" encompasses.

In addition, any federal judge may prosecuted in the criminal courts for criminal activity. If found guilty of a crime in a federal district court, the justice would face the same type of sentencing any other criminal defendant would. The district court could not remove him/her from the Bench. However, any justice found guilty in the criminal courts of any felony would certainly be impeached and, if found guilty, removed from office.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_a_US_Supreme_Court_justice_be_impeached_and_removed_from_office#ixzz1BoMDmMGo

[elleng]

6. Abraham Fortas

(June 19, 1910 – April 5, 1982) was a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice from 1965 to 1969. Originally from Tennessee, Fortas became a law professor at Yale, and subsequently advised the Securities and Exchange Commission. He then worked at the Interior Department under Franklin D. Roosevelt, and subsequently Harry Truman appointed him to delegations that helped set up the United Nations. Later, in private practice, Fortas represented Lyndon Johnson in an electoral dispute, and formed close ties with the president-to-be. Fortas also represented Clarence Earl Gideon before the U.S. Supreme Court, in a case involving the right to counsel. As a Johnson appointee to the Court, Fortas maintained a close working relationship with the president, and in 1968 Johnson tried to elevate Fortas to the position of Chief Justice, but that nomination faced a filibuster due at least in part to ethics problems that later caused him to step down from the Court. Fortas returned to private practice, sometimes appearing before the judges with whom he had served.

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

[Tx4obama]

8. The GOP House would never impeach a right-wing Justice. n/t

[rhett o rick]

9. Why ask? It will never happen. nm

[rhett o rick]

10. Why ask? It will never happen. Pres Obama doesnt want to "look back". nm

[Angry Dragon]

11. YES

[TomClash]

12. Article 2, Section 4 nt

[Rectangle]

14. If they could--rest assured, the House TeaParty wingnuts would go after Ginsburg, Breyer

Sotamayor ect,,,

[elocs]

15. You actually understand how the impeachment process works, right?

Impeachment without conviction doesn't mean much, and with a Republican controlled congress impeachment will not happen, at least not against a conservative Supreme Court Justice.