Thread by @Lady_Star_Gem

Process To Impeach & Remove Individual From Office Involves 2 Stages:

•1st, Articles of impeachment passed by majority vote of House of Representatives
•Trial conducted in Senate
•Senate sits as jury
•VP presides over most impeachment trials

THREAD
ballotpedia.org/Impeachments_o…

In order to remove person from office, 2/3 of senators present to vote must vote to convict articles of impeachment
Constitution doesn't define who constitutes civil officer

Congress impeached:

2 POTUS
1 Senator
1 Cabinet Official
15 Fed Judges
8 Fed Judges Impeached & Removed

Powers of impeachment designated to Congress enumerated in Constitution

Article I, Section 2 stipulates House of Representatives has sole power of impeachment

Under Constitution, process of impeachment begins in House of Representatives, which has sole power of impeachment

Any House member may introduce impeachment charges by declaration under their own initiative, presenting listing under oath or introducing resolution which will be referred to committee

Resolutions against particular individuals referred to House Judiciary Committee

Resolutions authorizing investigation whether grounds exist for impeachment initially referred to House Rules Committee

These resolutions generally referred to Judiciary Committee

Judiciary Committee typically conducts impeachment investigations
Committee may refer investigation to another committee
House Committee on Reconstruction of impeachement to special select committee of House
1 Judiciary Committee subcommittee or specially created subcommittee

Once committee investigation concludes, full Judiciary Committee votes if grounds exist to impeach

If majority committee determines grounds exist
Both resolve impeaching individual, presenting specific allegations
Articles of impeachment reported to full House of Representatives

House will proceed debate resolution presented by committee

Committee report recommendations are non-binding
House may consider resolution as whole
Consider each article of impeachment independently
House may vote to impeach even if committee report doesn't recommend impeachment

If House adopt articles of impeachment individual is considered impeached
Subsequent to vote members known as House managers will be selected to present charges to Senate
Managers appointed by resolution or by Speaker of House pursuant to resolution conferring authority upon him

Article I, Section 3 says Senate has sole power to try all impeachments
Constitution requires all senators who'll vote on impeachment must do so on oath or affirmation, no person can be convicted on impeachment charges unless 2/3 of the senators present to vote agree to convict

Upon receiving resolution from House notifying Senate individual has been impeached
Senate will adopt order notifying House that Senate will hear managers on charges
Appointed managers appear before bar of Senate to impeach individual involved, exhibit articles against him or her

Once completed
Senate procedural rules for impeachment govern process
Initial upon presentation of charges
Senate will issue summons to accused to appear, enter plea
Should defendant, named respondentin Senate's rules not appear, individual is presumed to enter plea of not guilty

"Respondent may demur, arguing he/she is not civil official subject to impeachment/charges listed don't constitute sufficient grounds for impeachment
Respondent may choose to answer articles brought against him or her"

House can file response to respondent's response, if any

Upon conclusion of plea, Senate will set trial date.
House managers or their counsel provide Senate with info regarding witnesses to be subpoenaed & may apply to trial's presiding officer should additional witnesses need to be subpoenaed.

Article I, Section 3, clause 6 of Constitution
Chief justice of US presides over Senate impeachment trial if POTUS is being tried
During impeachment trials, full Senate receives evidence, testimony
Senate may order presiding officer appoint committee of Senators to serve purpose

If committee is appointed it presents certified transcript of proceeding to full Senate
Senate takes additional testimony in open Senate
Senate may order entire trial be before full Senate
Beginnin of trial House managers/respondent counsel present openin arguments re impeachment

House managers, as prosecution in trial, present 1st argument
During course of trial evidence is presented, witnesses may be put to direct examination & cross-examination
Presiding officer may rule on any question of evidence presented officer can refer question to vote of Senate

Any senator can request a vote on a particular question
Closing arguments will be presented by each side, with House managers opening & closing

When the trial concludes, Senate meets in closed session to deliberate
Voting to convict on articles of impeachment must be done in open session, votes are tallied separately on each article
To convict on an article of impeachment, 2/3 vote of senators present to vote is required

If respondent is convicted on 1 or more articles, presiding officer pronounces judgment of conviction & removal.

Senate may vote on whether impeached official shall be disqualified from holding office of public trust under US in the future.

If Senate considers such motion, only a simple majority vote required any senator can request vote on particular question.

If you're like me & you had a mini heart attack about GOP trying to impeach #Rosenstein

I did research re impeachment on @ballotpedia
I created this thread to help us understand what we are in for.

How does an impeachment work?

Here's a simple infographic on each complex step.