Government teachers especially, take note.
Remember last summer I told you about the impeachment of New Orleans federal Judge Thomas Porteus?
The trial started yesterday in the U.S. Senate.
I gather that George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley joined the defense of Judge Porteus. Turley is very much the patron saint-attorney for almost-lost legal causes. His always-interesting blog has links to some of the papers filed to dismiss Article II of the impeachment, and other documents. That may be a very good site from which to observe the proceedings, especially for government and AP government and politics classes.
Turley’s motion for dismissal goes to the heart of what kinds of conduct may be impeachable, and when the jurisdiction of the impeachment clauses apply — maybe subtle, maybe somewhat obscure, but still delicious constitutional issues. I can imagine a government class reading the motion as a group and discussing it, in a more perfect world.
Is your government class watching this trial at all?
More:
Thanks for the update. I knew they were planning to vote, but haven’t had the time to go see.
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http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/12/senate_votes_to_remove_judge_t.html
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Senate this morning approved all four articles of impeachment against New Orleans federal Judge Thomas Porteous, removing him from his lifetime seat on the federal bench and denying him his $174,000 annual pension.
With the 96-0 vote on Article 1, Porteous became the eighth federal judge to be convicted by the Senate and removed from office through the impeachment process.
Aside from losing his job and his pension, there is no other penalty, fine or imprisonment that attaches to his conviction.
…
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Thanks for posting this, as I had missed that news.
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