Can a Supreme Court Justice Be Impeached?

[Maceman]

The more I think about it, the angrier I get about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's outrageous statement that the Supreme Court needs to consider foreign legal precedent and "international law" in making rulings.

It seems to me that such a statement shows an outright violation of her oath, and is grounds for impeachment.

Is there such a procedure? How does it work? Could a strong grass roots effort have any impact on making this a big issue?

Your thoughts please, fellow Freepers.

[squidly]

Works the same way as impeaching a president. It has to begin in the House. Federal judges have been impeached before, but I don't recall it happening to a SC justice.

[SB00]

Would the rules for impeachment be the same? (2/3 of the Senate to convict and remove the judge) There's no doubt in my mind that if her statement really reflected her judgements then it is a violation of her oath.

[murdoog]

Federal judges have been impeached before, but I don't recall it happening to a SC justice.

How about Salmon P. Chase?

[playball0]

Ginzburg's comments are distasteful. An impeachment would be distracting from Bush's agenda and his message of a new tone in Washington. Besides, we'd need a 2/3 vote in the Senate to remove and Republicans will not have that any time soon. We'd be better off getting resess appointments of Bush-nominated judges undermining the filibisters.

[cloud8]

Well, in 1989 the Senate voted 89 - 8 to approve an article of impeachment removing Federal District Judge Walter Nixon from the bench for making "false or misleading statements to a grand jury." reference Some Dems wanted to impeach Rehnquist after the 2000 election fiasco. I think it is possible to impeach a Supreme. Here is a reference to Gerald Ford's remarks on the impeachment of Supreme Wm. Douglas in 1970.

[CPT Clay]

Yes

[Clinging Bitterly]

O'Connor said similar things a few weeks ago on the George Steponallofus talking head show. I never thought I'd hear a sitting US Supreme Court Justice sajing things like that.

Kind of troubling, isn't it?