Can the present president of the US ever go to jail?

Question

Have any US Presidents ever gone to jail?

Answer 1

Keyword is present... if you mean while in office, that is a trick question. He can be put on trial by the Senate and removed from office THEN go to jail.

The way for your question to be true would be if the ICC, International Criminal Court, charged and put him on trial. A sitting president could then go to jail.

To answer the rest of the question, no president has gone to jail AFTER or during service as president. Bush Jr went to jail BEFORE his presidency having been arrested for a DUI twice.

Answer 2

A sitting President usually cannot go to jail while he is in office, since he is protected by the immunity of the office. However, a sitting President can be impeached and removed from office for a crime and then he can go to jail for the crime.

However, this scenario is highly unlikely, since as soon as the President is impeached and removed, the Vice President becomes President, and can then pardon the former President. For instance, Nixon resigned to avoid being impeached, and Gerald Ford became president and immediately pardoned Nixon.

No sitting President of the US has ever gone to jail while he was President, and it would be virtually impossible for anyone to arrest a sitting President unless there was a military coup. This is because the President is surrounded by the secret service, and these officers take orders from the President and their agency heads are appointed by and report to the President. Technically the federal marshals could be ordered by the Supreme Court, and the Capitol Police could be ordered by Congress, but in this case you would probably see one of those circumstances known as a "constitutional standoff" where there is no clear answer as to who has the final say.

The short answer is still that no, a sitting President probably can not go to jail while in office.

Answer 3

Yes. But, no President ever went to jail after leaving office. Richard Milhous Nixon was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Rudolph Ford. Andrew Jackson paid a $300 fine in lieu of going to jail when he was found guilty of massing armed troops inside the corporate limits of New Orleans, just before the famous battle in that city during the War of 1812. His fine was repaid by Special Act of Congress only weeks before he died.

Answer 4

Yes, of course. Nobody is technically above the law.

Although it's highly unlikely that a president ever would be put in prison, even when there's clear evidence of their involvement in illegal activities (Nixon was pardoned after leaving office even though he was about to be impeached and everybody recognized that he was deeply involved in the criminal activities of Watergate for instance), if it did happen, it'd probably happen like this. The president would have to be impeached, and then Congress would have to vote to remove them from office (a separate vote from the vote to impeach), and then they could be indicted and tried in a normal courtroom.

Answer 5

Of course he can. In theory. Although if the president did something legal the first port of call would be to cover it up. Failing that, yes, he could go to jail. The vice-prezzie then would take over.

Answer 6

It's possible, but sovereign immunity would be a good defense for anything that occurred while he was president.

Answer 7

God in heaven, I sure hope so.

Being strung from a lamp post after a speedy trial on TV would be nice, too.

I'll do the popcorn.

Answer 8

Sure, why not? Nixon should have been the first one.

Answer 9

Not a chance.... or Bill Clinton would still be there.

Answer 10

Yes, but it is unlikely.