Impeachment
The US Constitution states in Article 2, Section 4: "The
President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be
removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or
other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
The current impeachment process is as
follows:
Impeachment is started by members of the House of Representatives
and are then turned over to the Judiciary Committee which then decides whether
the allegations are worth being formally voted upon
The entire House votes for or against impeachment, needing
majority for approval.
If approved, the Judiciary Committee has an investigation to see
if there is enough evidence to impeach the President. The next step is to draft
articles of impeachment based on charges supported by evidence.
If the Judiciary Committee sends any articles of impeachment,
the house takes a vote and will win by majority.
If at least one of the articles of impeachment are approved
then the president is considered impeached and the case is then sent to the
senate.
The trial of the President is held in the Senate with the
Chief Justice presiding. The President may have a lawyer or can represent him
or herself.
The Senate may conduct the trial or the case may be given to
another committee and in which case said committee would report all case
evidence to the senate
The trial is held in a courtroom with the examination of
witnesses. During questioning, Senators remain silent, all questions from the
senate must be given directly to the chief justice in writing.
After all evidence and closing arguments have been gone through,
the Senate decides behind closed doors and then proceeds to vote in open
session. In order to convict the president the vote must be a two thirds
majority, (67 senators). In this case, the President is removed from office and
then the vice president becomes president. The decision is final and there is
no right of appeal.
In United States history there has technically only been 2
presintial impeachments. Although some people belive there has been 3, Nixon technically
was never impeached. He resigned and was then given a pardon for the crimes he
commited (Watergate scandal)
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/impeachments
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