Impeachment was a process by which the House of Commons could prosecute individuals before the House of Lords.
Impeachment was not limited to government officials: anyone might be punished, commoners and peers, officers and non-officers alike. And its purpose was not merely removal from office; on the contrary, impeachment was a means of imposing all sorts of punishments. The House of Lords could put people to death, among other things. In sum, impeachment was an expansive parliamentary tool of criminal prosecution and punishment.
E. The Constitution’s Early Years and Beyond
As compared to Hamilton’s ambiguous comments, an act of Congress surely carries more interpretive weight: in satisfying the demands of bicameralism and presentment, after all, an enacted statute reflects multiple judgments affirming its constitutionality. It is significant, therefore, that in the 1790 Crimes Act, Congress passed an effective refutation of the impeachment-only reading. The Act barred judges from taking bribes. Besides attaching fines and imprisonment as punishment, the statute also provided that bribe-taking judges “shall forever be disqualified to hold any office of honour, trust or profit under the United States.”186 In other words, the Act contemplated that ordinary courts could remove judges from office for their misbehavior—in this case the taking of bribes.
Other provisions of the Crimes Act authorized a different sort of removal.
About half a dozen provisions listed execution as the appropriate punishment.
There is nothing in the Act suggesting that federal judges could not be subjected to this punishment (or any other punishment for that matter) prior to being impeached. Had a federal judge been found guilty of murder, piracy, or making counterfeit securities, he could have been put to death.188 In a number of ways, the Crimes Act provides compelling evidence that members of Congress did not regard impeachment as the only means of removing judges.
I post this as information useful to remedy the problem with the 9th Circuit Court problem judges.
This is 3D chess and part of Trump’s plan.
Impeachment will be viewed as an over reach and isn’t necessary.
Trump will have 3-5 total SCOTUS picks.
He has the list of 20.
This was setting up to pick a conservative to replace Ginsberg. It also sets up Democrats and their judges to own any terrorist attack that’s coming and they are always coming.
Trump can take it to the Supreme Court and win there.
This whole thing comes down to Ruth Bader’s cancer returning. She’ll be dead in a year or two. MSM and Dems would be demanding that “her seat” be at least a moderate pick.
The 9th Circuit just handed Trump the bullets to shoot that down and push through his picks.
Remember, we can’t count on the spineless Senate as they are part of the problem. Look at them not wanting to replace Obamacare. They helped write it! They are the fake opposition party. Trump is the bull in a China shop.
In summary, impeachment is an error. It flips thedebste in favor of Democrats and is highly unlikely to be successful, especially since it’d be entirely based on political grounds.
Calm down. Let Trump’s long term plan be revealed.
Disbarment also works.
Treason. Prison.
Ping
Tar & Feathers worked for our ancestors.
PDF download link : http://www.yalelawjournal.org/pdf/438_q54sjnwz.pdf