From Sundance in the CTH article posted by drcrnum, supra.
In an unrelated (and somewhat dissimilar case*) SCOTUS ruled that federal courts do not have authority under separation of powers to interfere with Senate rules on impeachment trials. And the other case effectively rendered Hasting's case moot.
Under such precedent, there would appear to be no legal impediment to McConnell's designating such an impeachment panel that accurately represents the party make-up of the full Senate. Giving the edge to Republican Senators. Unseemly? Perhaps but not illegal nor a matter for federal courts to interfere under Supreme Court precedent.
For those wanting to know more, see Judge Walter Nixon's case, Nixon v. United States, 506 U.S, 224 (1993)
*For background, Judge Nixon was convicted for his crimes, while Hastings was not. But the only reason Hastings was not convicted was because his co-conspirator in the bribery scheme went to jail (twice) instead of testifying at either Hastings criminal trial or his impeachment trial. That witness, William Borders, was later pardoned by Bill Clinton.
I am not saying McConnell should or would do that as the potential political price would be quite high but I am not seeing a legal precedent that says he definitively cannot.
If someone else has seen such a legal impediment by all means please correct me.
IIRC, in the Alcee Hastings case (impeached federal judge (bribery) and now sitting Congressman on House Rules Committee) his Senate trial was by a panel and not the full Senate. Hastings sued claiming that his trial and subsequent removal was thus unConstitutional.Quote:
The Democrats will argue their 2020 candidates cannot spend all this time on a Senate trial. the media will be sympathetic.. Because the constitution is ambiguous to the construct. and intentionally differential to the size of the Senate. the democrat approach will be to empanel a bipartisan jury of an unknown number of Senators to sit for the trial "under oath and affirmation."
There is nothing in the constitution that would stop the Senate from assembling a jury of 10 republican senators and 10 democrat senators. It would then require "two-thirds" or thirteen for a conviction. Or the jury could be 40 or (fill_in_blank).
This type of a senate construct is what the left has been hinting about in their discussions. This is what Lawfare has been discussing since they successfully gained the Nixon Impeachment Roadmap during their lawsuit a few months ago.
In an unrelated (and somewhat dissimilar case*) SCOTUS ruled that federal courts do not have authority under separation of powers to interfere with Senate rules on impeachment trials. And the other case effectively rendered Hasting's case moot.
Under such precedent, there would appear to be no legal impediment to McConnell's designating such an impeachment panel that accurately represents the party make-up of the full Senate. Giving the edge to Republican Senators. Unseemly? Perhaps but not illegal nor a matter for federal courts to interfere under Supreme Court precedent.
For those wanting to know more, see Judge Walter Nixon's case, Nixon v. United States, 506 U.S, 224 (1993)
*For background, Judge Nixon was convicted for his crimes, while Hastings was not. But the only reason Hastings was not convicted was because his co-conspirator in the bribery scheme went to jail (twice) instead of testifying at either Hastings criminal trial or his impeachment trial. That witness, William Borders, was later pardoned by Bill Clinton.
I am not saying McConnell should or would do that as the potential political price would be quite high but I am not seeing a legal precedent that says he definitively cannot.
If someone else has seen such a legal impediment by all means please correct me.