When was the last time a Supreme Court justice was impeached?
Asked by: Freeda Morar | Last update: January 26, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (71 votes)
The last (and only) time a U.S. Supreme Court Justice was impeached by the House was Samuel Chase in 1804, though he was acquitted by the Senate in 1805, making him the only one to face a Senate trial without removal. While no Supreme Court Justice has been removed via impeachment, other federal judges have been impeached, with the most recent instance being Judge Samuel B. Kent in 2009, who resigned before conviction.
Can the US president remove a Supreme Court judge?
No, a President cannot remove a Supreme Court Justice; only Congress has the power to do so through the impeachment process (House impeaches, Senate convicts) for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors," ensuring judicial independence and lifetime tenure ("good behavior") for Article III judges.
What Supreme Court judge has been impeached?
The outcomes helped to solidify norms of an independent judiciary and impeachments requiring more than just a disagreement between an official and the Congress. Chase remains the only United States Supreme Court justice to have been impeached.
Has a Supreme Court justice ever been forced to resign?
Fortas later resigned from the Court after a controversy involving his acceptance of $20,000 from financier Louis Wolfson while Wolfson was being investigated for insider trading. The Justice Department investigated Fortas at the behest of President Richard Nixon.
Who is the only US president to be impeached twice?
Donald Trump is the only U.S. President to have been impeached twice, first in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and again in 2021 for incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack, though he was acquitted in both Senate trials.
West Virginia Impeaches All 4 State Supreme Court Justices | TIME
Which president got impeached for lying?
Res. 611, Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, on grounds of perjury to a grand jury (first article, 228–206) and obstruction of justice (third article, 221–212).
What president was impeached but not removed?
Three presidents have been impeached, although none were convicted: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump twice, in 2019 and 2021.
Can a president overturn a Supreme Court ruling?
No, the President cannot directly overturn a Supreme Court decision; only the Court itself (through a new ruling), the Constitution (via amendment), or new legislation by Congress can overturn a major ruling, though Presidents can try to influence future decisions by appointing new justices or challenge rulings through appeals, and historically, some have selectively enforced or ignored certain rulings, as seen with Lincoln and the Dred Scott case.
Who can remove the judge from the Supreme Court?
Only the U.S. Congress, through the impeachment process, can remove a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, requiring the House of Representatives to impeach (majority vote) and the Senate to convict (two-thirds vote) for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors," granting them lifetime appointments ("good behavior").
Can the president change the number of Supreme Court justices?
No, the President cannot directly change the number of Supreme Court Justices; only Congress has that power by passing a law, but the President must sign that law for it to take effect, meaning both branches must agree, as seen with the Judiciary Act of 1869 fixing the number at nine. While presidents appoint justices, they can only fill existing vacancies or new ones Congress creates, as the Constitution doesn't set the court's size, allowing Congress to adjust it as a legislative check.
How do I remove a Supreme Court justice?
The Constitution states that Justices "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour." This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment.
Who is the only person to have served as US president and a Supreme Court justice?
William Howard Taft is the only person to serve as both U.S. president and Supreme Court Chief Justice during his career.
Can you become a judge without being a lawyer?
In 24 states in the U.S., a person without prior legal experience can become a judge and preside over some judicial cases. In Pennsylvania, for example, magisterial district-court judges don't have to take the state's bar exam.
How did Trump appoint so many Supreme Court justices?
The Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett confirmations were enabled by a rule change made by Senate Republicans in 2017, which applied the 'nuclear option' to Supreme Court nominees and allowed nominations to be advanced by a simple majority vote rather than the historical norm of a three-fifths supermajority vote.
Can the president fire the vice president?
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the authority to remove the vice president of the United States from office in two separate proceedings. The first one takes place in the House of Representatives, which impeaches the vice president by approving articles of impeachment through a simple majority vote.
Who has power over Supreme Court justices?
Justices have lifetime tenure, meaning they remain on the court until they die, retire, resign, or are impeached and removed from office. When a vacancy occurs, the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints a new justice. Each justice has a single vote in deciding the cases argued before the court.
Who has the power to remove a US Supreme Court justice?
Article III states that these judges “hold their office during good behavior,” which means they have a lifetime appointment, except under very limited circumstances. Article III judges can be removed from office only through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate.
Can voters remove a Supreme Court judge?
Article II of the California Constitution, approved by California voters in 1911, allows people to recall and remove elected officials and justices of the State Supreme Court from office.
What happens after a judge is impeached?
The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict, and the penalty for an impeached official upon conviction is removal from office. In some cases, the Senate has also disqualified such officials from holding public offices in the future.
Has any president ignored a Supreme Court ruling?
Yes, presidents have ignored or defied Supreme Court rulings, most famously Andrew Jackson with the Cherokee Nation (Trail of Tears) and Abraham Lincoln by suspending habeas corpus, but this is rare and often leads to constitutional crises, with recent instances involving defiance in deportation cases under the Trump administration. Other examples include governors defying rulings on segregation (Faubus, Barnett) and FDR's stance on military tribunals, highlighting ongoing tensions between executive power and judicial authority.
What is the President not allowed to do?
A PRESIDENT CANNOT . . .
declare war. decide how federal money will be spent. interpret laws. choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval.
Who has more power, a judge or the President?
Federal laws, for example, are passed by Congress and signed by the President. The judicial branch, in turn, has the authority to decide the constitutionality of federal laws and resolve other cases involving federal laws. But judges depend upon the executive branch to enforce court decisions.
What president was buried wrapped in an American flag?
President Andrew Johnson, the 17th U.S. President, was buried wrapped in an American flag as per his final wishes, along with a copy of the U.S. Constitution under his head, at his burial site in Greeneville, Tennessee. This practice reflects his deep connection to the Union, even after his contentious presidency, and stands out as a unique detail of his funeral, notes the National Park Service.
Which president resigned to avoid impeachment?
Thus, while Nixon himself was not impeached, the impeachment process against him is so far the only one that has brought about a president's departure from office (he resigned).
Who is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice?
Donald Trump is the only U.S. President to have been impeached twice, first in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and again in 2021 for incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack, though he was acquitted in both Senate trials.