Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase Begins
The impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase, which began on February 4, 1805, is a significant event in American constitutional history. It marked the first time a Supreme Court justice faced impeachment, highlighting the tensions between the judicial and executive branches of government. Justice Chase, known for his strong Federalist views, was accused by the Democratic-Republican majority in Congress of "high crimes and misdemeanors," although the charges were widely considered to be politically motivated. The trial underscored the struggle for judicial independence during a period of political rivalry, particularly as President Thomas Jefferson sought to diminish the influence of Federalist appointees. Ultimately, Chase was acquitted on March 1, 1805, as a coalition of some Democratic-Republicans and Federalists prevented his removal from office. This outcome not only preserved Chase's career but also reinforced the independence of the Supreme Court, a critical principle of American governance. Following the trial, Chase continued to serve as a justice until his death in 1811, leaving a lasting impact on the judicial landscape in the United States.
Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase Begins
Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase Begins
One of the most important legal proceedings in the history of American constitutional law began on February 4, 1805, when the U.S. Senate opened its impeachment trial of Supreme Court justice Samuel Chase. When Chase was eventually acquitted, it was a victory for the independence of the judicial system, the third branch of the federal government. It was also a serious embarrassment for President Thomas Jefferson.
The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches that are supposed to be equal. These are the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive consists of the president and the various agencies of the federal government; the legislative consists of Congress and its affiliated bodies; and the judicial consists of the U.S. Supreme Court at the apex of a federal court system that interprets the nation's laws and enforces the Constitution. Congress has the right to impeach, or remove from office, officials of the federal government including but not limited to the president and the justices of the Supreme Court. In order to be impeached, the accused must be guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The Senate of the United States conducts the impeachment trial. At this trial, a two-thirds majority vote of the senators is necessary to convict and thus remove the person from office. There are practically no restrictions on the trial procedure in the Senate.
The first two presidents of the United States, George Washington and John Adams, were members of the Federalist Party. In 1800, however, Thomas Jefferson was elected president as the candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party. As Jefferson sought to consolidate his control over the federal government, he ran into the opposition of the justices of the Supreme Court, who had been appointed by the preceding Federalist administrations and were mostly Federalist sympathizers. The Democratic-Republicans sought to tame the Supreme Court, and brought largely trumped-up charges against Justice Samuel Chase. Chase was a hero of the American Revolution, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His Federalist viewpoints were very strong, perhaps inappropriately so for a person holding judicial office, but there was very little evidence to suggest that his conduct was illegal.
Nevertheless, Chase became the first target of the Democratic-Republican majority in Congress's move against the Federalist judiciary, although many prominent Democratic-Republicans had their reservations. At stake was not only Chase's career and reputation, but potentially also those of Supreme Court chief justice John Marshall, who would be the next logical target if Chase were successfully impeached. In what has been, as of this writing, the one and only impeachment trial of a Supreme Court justice, enough Democratic-Republicans in the Senate joined with the minority coalition of Federalist senators to acquit Chase on March 1, 1805. The acquittal helped secure the independence of the Supreme Court, and Chase resumed his activities as a justice until he died on June 19, 1811.