Legal Definition and Related Resources of Impeachment

Proceedings for the removal of an officer of the United States or the state for misconduct in his office or for a crime . The accusation is made, under the provisions of article 1 of the U nited States constitution for a federal offense in the Congress and is tried in the senate . The purpose of the proceeding is the removal of the officer from his office and is not a substitute for criminal proceedings in ordinary courts of law. Also the discrediting of a person or thing.

In English Law. ‘The prosecution of a peer or commoner by the house of commons at the bar of the house of lords for treason, high crimes, or misdemeanors. 6 Enc. Laws Eng. 318. In American Law. A proceeding against a public civil oflBcer, ordinarily prosecuted by the more numerous body of the legislature at the bar of the other, for the removal of such ofQcer from office. In Practice. An attack on the testimoHy of a witness by showing his lack of veracity. It is to be distinguished from contradiction, which is an attack on tes timony by showing that the facts at issue are other than as testified to.

noun

• accusal
• accusatio
• accusation
• act of discrediting
• admonition
• animadversion
• arraignment
• attack
• blame
• castigation
• censure
• challenge
• charge
• complaint
• condemnation
• countercharge
• criminal proceeding
• crimination
• criticism
• denigration
• denouncement
• denunciation
• disapproval
• discommendation
• exposure
• hostile criticism
• imputation of dereliction
• imputation of fault
• indictment
• questioning integrity
• questioning witness’s veracity
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• reproof
• vilification
• Associated Concepts: articles ofimpeachment
• character evidence
• collateral impeachment
• impeachment of a governmental officer
• impeachment of a verdict
• impeachment of a witness
• impeachment of credibility
• moral terpitude
• prior inconsistent statement
• reputation evidence

Browse or run a search for Impeachment in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Impeachment in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Impeachment in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Impeachment in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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Mentioned in these terms

Character, Concealers, Consonant Statement, Impeachment Of Waste, .

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This definition of Impeachment is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

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Impeachment Meaning in the U.S. Court System

The process of calling a witness’s testimony into doubt. For example, if the attorney can show that the witness may have fabricated portions of his testimony, the witness is said to be “impeached.” (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may “impeach” (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government, who are then removed from office if found guilty in a trial before the Senate.

Grammar

This term is a noun.

Etimology of Impeachment

(You may find impeachment at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

late 14c., enpechement “accusation, charge,” from Old French empeechem
ent “difficulty, hindrance; (legal) impeachment,” from empeechier “to hinder, impede” (see impeach). As a judicial proceeding on charges of maladministration against a public official, from 1640s.

Impeachment

Impeachment