What does it mean if a president is impeached but not convicted?

Question

For example, Andrew Johnson was impeached but never convicted. Does conviction simply imply a crime was involved why impeachment can be applied to actions other than crimes?


I'm not trying to attack our current president (as much as I may want to), this is just for a homework assignment.

The only thing I can find about it in the Constitution is Article 1, Section 3, Clause 6. I just don't know what it means.

Answer 1

It means the Senate can basically say whatever they want (impeachment), but that doesn't mean they could make it stick in court.

Answer 2

Impeachment is done by the House of Representatives and is basically an indictment for "high crimes and misdemeanors". the case is then tried by the Senate. If the Senate chooses in the affirmative then that is a conviction and the President is removed from office as a result. Prison etc. is not an option in an impeachment but once the former President is a regular citizen he can be tried in court and if convicted be punished for his crimes just like anybody else.

Answer 3

'Impeachment' is really only an indictment, done by the House of Representatives, requiring only a majority vote.

Then the matter goes to the Senate where it takes a 2/3 vote to remove the president from office.

The Republicans impeached Bill Clinton in the House knowing that they wouldn't have the votes in the Senate to remove him from office. They did it just as 'political circus' to embarrass Clinton. But the highest popularity ratings Clinton ever had through his entire presidency were during the impeachment, showing that Americans didn't take the charges against him seriously.

I think it's because of this that the Democrats now in control of both houses are not impeaching Bush. Without being able to actually kick him out of the White House, there's no point in impeachment, it would look like they were just being mean and vindicitive. (Though I believe if any president ever deserved to be impeached it's Bush.)

Answer 4

Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature which allows for formal charges to be brought against a civil officer of government for conduct committed in office. The actual trial on those charges, and subsequent removal of an official on conviction on those charges is separate from the act of impeachment itself: impeachment is analogous to indictment in regular court proceedings, trial by the other house is analogous to the trial before judge and jury in regular courts. Typically, the lower house of the legislature will impeach the official and the upper house will conduct the trial.

At the Federal level, the House of Representatives has the sole power of impeaching the President, Vice President and all other civil officers of the United States. Officials can be impeached for: "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." The United States Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments. The removal of impeached officials is automatic upon conviction in the Senate.

Impeachment can also occur at the state level; state legislatures can impeach state officials, including governors, according to their respective constitutions
.

Answer 5

Impeachment is similar to a Grand Jury indicting someone, it is not a conviction in and of itself, rather just the formal process of bringing charges against a sitting government official. The House of Representatives has the power to impeach a president.

If a President is impeached, he must stand trial in the Senate. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial, and the full Senate serves as the Jury. I think it takes a 2/3 majority to convict a president and remove them from office.

Answer 6

The articles of impeachment are drawn up in the House of Representatives. The actual trial is held in the Senate and requires a 2/3 majority vote to sustain the articles of impeachment.

Answer 7

Well, of course there can be political fallout--obvously a lot ofdivisiveness is present or there wouldn't be nan impeachment.

However, it's thelegal equivalent of being found "not guilty." In short, everything just stays the way it was before the impeachment--the president (or whoever; other public officials can be immpeached) stays in office. On the other hand, a conviction means remobal from office, and possibly further penalties as well.

Answer 8

Impeached means brought to trial. Done by Congress. Senate then convicts or not.

Answer 9

A impeachment process is not a criminal process. The criminal process ends up in a acquital or a conviction. A impeachment is one in a government body and it is by vote.

Answer 10

It means you're talking about Bill Clinton.