impeached

Impeached refers to the formal act of charging a public official with misconduct through a legislative process, and does not by itself determine guilt or criminal liability. In many systems, impeachment is a two-stage procedure: an accusation or articles of impeachment and, if approved, a subsequent removal trial.

In the United States, impeachment begins in the House of Representatives, which can adopt articles of impeachment by a simple majority vote. If the official is impeached, the process moves to the Senate for a trial. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over presidential impeachment trials, and a two-thirds Senate vote is required to convict. Conviction can lead to removal from office and, in some cases, disqualification from holding future office. Impeachment is thus a political and constitutional remedy, distinct from criminal prosecution.

Historically in the United States, no president has been removed from office through impeachment. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 but was acquitted by the Senate. Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 and likewise acquitted. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before the full House could vote on articles of impeachment. Other elected officials and public servants have been impeached at federal or state levels, with varying outcomes.

Impeachment differs from criminal charges in that it is not a conviction of criminal guilt; it is a determination by the legislature on whether removal from office is warranted. The grounds typically cited include abuses of power, “high crimes and misdemeanors,” or other serious misconduct, as interpreted by the body with impeachment authority. Across different jurisdictions, the exact standards and procedures for impeachment vary, but the core concept remains the formal charging of a public official with misconduct and the potential for removal.