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From: smb@ulysses.UUCP (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.legal
Subject: Re: A question about impeachment
Message-ID: <718@ulysses.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Nov-83 14:00:42 EST
Article-I.D.: ulysses.718
Posted: Mon Nov 28 14:00:42 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Nov-83 05:52:21 EST
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
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It is exceedingly doubtful that the Supreme Court has any jurisdiction
in an impeachment case.  Impeachments are tried by the Senate, not an
ordinary federal court.  And the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors"
is an old phrase from English common law; it's precise meaning, especially
today, is not at all clear.  If I recall correctly what I read during the
Watergate hearings, it did at some point include political crimes; today,
though, the supporters of the accused individual (and there are always some;
Nixon still has some) have been holding the accusers to a much higher standard
of accusation and proof.