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Only one Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Chase (one of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence), has ever been impeached. The House of Representatives accused Chase of letting his Federalist political leanings affect his rulings, and served him with eight articles of impeachment in late 1804. The Senate acquitted him of all charges in 1805, establishing the right of the judiciary to independent opinion. Chase continued on the Court until his death in June 1811.
Close Calls
In 1957, at the height of McCarthyism, the Georgia General Assembly passed a joint resolution calling for "The Impeachment of Certain U.S. Supreme Court Justices" believed to be enabling Communism with their decisions. The resolution targeted Chief Justice Earl Warren and Associate Justices Hugo Black, William O. Douglas, Tom Campbell Clark, Felix Frankfurter, and Stanley Forman Reed (as well as several unnamed deceased Justices) for "...[usurping] the congressional power to make law in violation of Article I, Sections I and 8, and violated Sections 3 and 5 of the 14th Amendment and nullified the 10th Amendment of the Constitution."
Abe Fortas, who served on the Supreme Court from 1965-1969, was almost impeached due to a tax and financial scandal involving Wall Street financier, Louis Wolfson. Fortas was a Lyndon Johnson appointment. When the new President, Richard Nixon, learned of the scandal, he reportedly said Fortas should be "off of there," referring to the Supreme Court. The House of Representatives had already taken preliminary steps toward impeachment.
Chief Justice Earl Warren urged Justice Fortas to resign, to save the reputation of the Court. Fortas resisted at first, but eventually told other members of the Court he was stepping down to avoid damaging his wife's legal career. Later, he admitted another reason for leaving the Court was to save his friend, William O. Douglas, who was also under investigation for judicial impropriety.
The House of Representatives finally concluded Douglas had committed no impeachable offenses and dropped the investigation.
For more information, see Related Questions, below.
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∙ 14y ago
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∙ 12y agoSamuel Chase was the only signatory of the declaration of Independence to be impeached from the Supreme Court.
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Who was the only supreme court justice to be impeached?
Samuel Chase was the only supreme court justice to be impeached.
When is the only time that the chief justice of the supreme court sits as the judge in a trial of an impeached person?
after jhon f kenity was killed
What is the term of office for supreme court justice's and when may they be removed?
Supreme Court justices have lifetime appointments--most of them retire, but they can stay on the bench until they die like William Rehnquist did. They can be impeached, but that's the only way to get rid of one. The only justice to have ever been impeached was Samuel Chase, who was acquitted. Samuel Chase was nominated to the Court by George Washington.
What is the term of office for Supreme Court justice When May they be removed?
Supreme Court justices have lifetime appointments--most of them retire, but they can stay on the bench until they die like William Rehnquist did. They can be impeached, but that's the only way to get rid of one. The only justice to have ever been impeached was Samuel Chase, who was acquitted. Samuel Chase was nominated to the Court by George Washington.
Was John Adams impeached?
No, John Marshall was never impeached; he served as Chief Justice on the Supreme Court from 1801 until 1835, a tenure of 34 years.The only Supreme Court justice ever to be impeached was Samuel Chase, in 1804. Chase served on the Marshall Court until 1811. He was later acquitted during his Senate trial.For more information on Justice Chase's impeachment, see Related Questions, below.
What US President appointed Samuel Chase to the Supreme Court?
President George Washington appointed Samuel Chase to the US Supreme Court in 1796. Justice Chase has the distinction of being the only Supreme Court justice impeached by the House of Representatives (1804). He was acquitted at his Senate trial in 1805, and remained on the Court until his death in 1811.
Who is Samuel Chase of the US Supreme Court?
Justice Samuel Chase served on the US Supreme Court from 1796 until his death in 1811. Chase is the only Supreme Court justice to have been impeached by the House of Representatives (1804). He was acquitted at his Senate trial in 1805 and remained on the Court another six years. For more information, see Related Questions, below.
How long do the five Justice serve on the Supreme Court?
The US Constitution states that once confirmed by the Senate, a justice serves for life. However, they may retire if they wish. They can also be impeached and removed from the court if they do not maintain "good behavior." Only one Supreme Court Justice has been impeached: Samuel Chase in 1805. However, Chase was later acquitted by the Senate.
Has a US Supreme Court justice ever been impeached?
Yes. US Supreme Court justices may be impeached by the House of Representatives and tried in the Senate, just like the President. The justice must have committed a serious breach of ethics or be accused of "high crimes and misdemeanors," a vague term that encompasses both criminal acts and various forms of judicial misconduct. For more information, see Related Questions, below.
What is the tenure of office of the chief justice of the supreme court?
The US constitution provides that justices of the supreme court, including the chief justice, shall hold their offices "during good behavior," which basically means "until they die or retire." Theoretically a justice could be impeached, but this has only happened once in US history (to Justice Samuel Chase in 1804), and he was acquitted by the Senate.
What president later became a Supreme Court Justice?
Willima Howard Taft was the only President to also serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
What president later became Supreme Court justice?
Willima Howard Taft was the only President to also serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
