Can a Supreme Court Justice be impeached? AOC is trying to remove Clarence Thomas
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats are seeking to impeach conservative-leaning Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for ethical violations.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic lawmakers have filed impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “for high crimes and misdemeanors.”
According to the articles of impeachment, Thomas committed various ethical violations, including failing to disclose receiving lavish gifts. The articles state that it would be reasonable to believe “that he used his public office for his own private gain or for the private gain of his donors.”
The document also mentions that Thomas refused to recuse himself from cases where he had personal, legal, or financial interest.
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Can a Supreme Court Justice be impeached? AOC is trying to remove Clarence Thomas
The U.S. Constitution states that the president of the country, along with the vice president and all United States civil officers are subject to impeachment, and these include Supreme Court justices.
The Constitution also states that judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior, which means they can serve for life once appointed, as long as they are not removed from office.
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What is the process to impeach a Supreme Court justice?
To remove someone through the impeachment process, the House of Representatives must first vote to impeach, after which the Senate must vote to convict the official.
Although there is a provision for a Supreme Court justice to be removed, it is highly improbable that Ocasio-Cortez’s efforts will succeed. The only Justice to be ever be impeached in the history of the U.S. was Associate Justice Samuel Chase, way back in 1805. The House of Representatives passed the Articles of Impeachment against him in 1805, but he was later acquitted by the Senate.
The impeachment proceedings are unlikely to prosper because they must first be approved by the Republican-controlled House. GOP legislators have blocked any criticisms of high court justices, which have a 6-3 conservative majority, three of them appointed by former president Donald Trump.