Prosecutor
United States
Defendant
Samuel Chase, U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice
Plaintiff's Claim
That Chase should be removed from his post for committing "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" within the meaning of Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution.
Prosecutors
"Trial managers" John Randolph, Caesar Rodney
Chief Defense Lawyers
Robert Goodloe Harper, Joseph Hopkinson, Luther Martin
Judges
The U.S. Senate, with Vice-President Aaron Burr presiding
Place
Washington, D.C.
Date of Decision
1 March 1805
Decision
Chase was found not guilty and was allowed to remain in his post.
Significance
Congress for the first and only time exercised its constitutional prerogativeto try a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Samuel Chase was born in Somerset County, Maryland, in April of 1741. Duringthe next 70 years, until his death in 1811, he would become one of America'smost famous and controversial founding fathers.
Chase was active in politics from an early age, and was elected to colonial Maryland's Assembly on the strength of his anti-British platform. Chase was Maryland's delegate to the Continental Congress of 1774 in Philadelphia and wasone of the signers of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. After fighting in the Revolutionary War, during which he became friends with George Washington, Chase returned to Maryland. Chase used his influence in the Federalist party to further his judicial career, and he swiftly rose through a succession of ever more prestigious posts. Chase was appointed presiding justice of Baltimore's Criminal Court. Then in 1791 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals. Finally in 1796 he was appointed to the U.S. SupremeCourt. Chase's Supreme Court nomination had George Washington's personal backing.
From the Maryland courts to the Supreme Court, Chase was an openly Federalistjudge and he never hid his political loyalties. He zealously enforced the Federalist-sponsored Alien and Sedition Acts, and supported the strict prosecution of persons involved in anti-government demonstrations and allegedly treasonous activities. Chase presided at several trials involving supporters of his fellow founding father and presidential contender Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was the candidate of the opposing Democratic-Republican Party, and won thehotly contested election of 1800.
Congress Impeaches Chase
Jefferson had a series of political struggles with the Federalists, whose supporters such as Chase and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall dominatedthe federal judiciary. The decision of the Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803), which established the principle of judicial review, was not reveredby Jefferson.
In an attempt to change the makeup of the Supreme Court, Jefferson played a part in orchestrating impeachment proceedings against Chase. Jefferson tried to exploit his party's domination of the Senate, where 25 of the 34 Senators were Democratic-Republicans and only nine were Federalists. Under Article II,Section 4 of the Constitution, federal judges can be impeached for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors," and under Article I, Section 3 the trial must be conducted before the Senate. Jefferson's allies in the House of Representatives passed Articles of Impeachment against Chase, which were duly received by the Senate.
The Senate's High Court of Impeachment, presided over by Vice-President AaronBurr, opened on 4 February 1805. The "trial managers," or prosecutors, wereJohn Randolph and Caesar Rodney. Chase's lawyers were Robert Goodloe Harper,Joseph Hopkinson and Luther Martin. There were eight articles, which named avariety of Democratic-Republican grievances against Chase concerning the trials he had presided over. The charges ranged from allegedly giving a false legal definition of treason during the trial of one John Fries in Article One toallegedly making very political comments to a Baltimore grand jury in Article Eight.
There was certainly plenty of evidence that Chase was a highly opinionated Federalist judge, who had perhaps acted with little regard for courtroom niceties, but there was very little proof that his actions were serious enough to be deemed constitutional violations.
Even the Democratic-Republican senators felt uncomfortable. Trial manager Rodney in his closing argument lamely begged the Senate:
On 1 March 1805 the Senate voted on Chase's impeachment. On each of the eightarticles, enough Democratic-Republican senators joined the Federalists in voting "not guilty" so that Chase was acquitted of all the charges against him.Chase continued to serve on the Supreme Court until he died in June of 1811.
Chase's acquittal was a defeat for Jefferson, who may have planned to impeachChief Justice Marshall if Chase was found guilty. The Samuel Chase impeachment was the first and only time Congress impeached a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Related Cases
Samuel Chase
Associate Justice Samuel Chase (1741-1811) was the only member of the SupremeCourt against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought in more than 200 years. In addition to being an outspoken leader in the American Revolutionand a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he sat on the Supreme Courtfor 15 years, from 1796 to his death in 1811.
Involvement with questionable business schemes forced his removal from the Continental Congress, but in the 1780s Chase managed to revive his political career. He became involved in further scandal as a Baltimore judge later in thedecade, and was very nearly removed by the state general assembly. Through the intercession of a friend, however, President George Washington was persuaded in 1796 to appoint Chase to the Supreme Court.
The impeachment proceedings brought against him, orchestrated by Thomas Jefferson in conjunction with the Congress, were unsuccessful, but Chase's careeras an effective judge was over. He suffered increasing attacks of gout and died on 19 June 1811.
Sources
The National Cyclopedia of American Biography New York: James T. White, 1895
United States
Defendant
Samuel Chase, U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice
Plaintiff's Claim
That Chase should be removed from his post for committing "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" within the meaning of Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution.
Prosecutors
"Trial managers" John Randolph, Caesar Rodney
Chief Defense Lawyers
Robert Goodloe Harper, Joseph Hopkinson, Luther Martin
Judges
The U.S. Senate, with Vice-President Aaron Burr presiding
Place
Washington, D.C.
Date of Decision
1 March 1805
Decision
Chase was found not guilty and was allowed to remain in his post.
Significance
Congress for the first and only time exercised its constitutional prerogativeto try a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Samuel Chase was born in Somerset County, Maryland, in April of 1741. Duringthe next 70 years, until his death in 1811, he would become one of America'smost famous and controversial founding fathers.
Chase was active in politics from an early age, and was elected to colonial Maryland's Assembly on the strength of his anti-British platform. Chase was Maryland's delegate to the Continental Congress of 1774 in Philadelphia and wasone of the signers of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. After fighting in the Revolutionary War, during which he became friends with George Washington, Chase returned to Maryland. Chase used his influence in the Federalist party to further his judicial career, and he swiftly rose through a succession of ever more prestigious posts. Chase was appointed presiding justice of Baltimore's Criminal Court. Then in 1791 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals. Finally in 1796 he was appointed to the U.S. SupremeCourt. Chase's Supreme Court nomination had George Washington's personal backing.
From the Maryland courts to the Supreme Court, Chase was an openly Federalistjudge and he never hid his political loyalties. He zealously enforced the Federalist-sponsored Alien and Sedition Acts, and supported the strict prosecution of persons involved in anti-government demonstrations and allegedly treasonous activities. Chase presided at several trials involving supporters of his fellow founding father and presidential contender Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was the candidate of the opposing Democratic-Republican Party, and won thehotly contested election of 1800.
Congress Impeaches Chase
Jefferson had a series of political struggles with the Federalists, whose supporters such as Chase and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall dominatedthe federal judiciary. The decision of the Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803), which established the principle of judicial review, was not reveredby Jefferson.
In an attempt to change the makeup of the Supreme Court, Jefferson played a part in orchestrating impeachment proceedings against Chase. Jefferson tried to exploit his party's domination of the Senate, where 25 of the 34 Senators were Democratic-Republicans and only nine were Federalists. Under Article II,Section 4 of the Constitution, federal judges can be impeached for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors," and under Article I, Section 3 the trial must be conducted before the Senate. Jefferson's allies in the House of Representatives passed Articles of Impeachment against Chase, which were duly received by the Senate.
The Senate's High Court of Impeachment, presided over by Vice-President AaronBurr, opened on 4 February 1805. The "trial managers," or prosecutors, wereJohn Randolph and Caesar Rodney. Chase's lawyers were Robert Goodloe Harper,Joseph Hopkinson and Luther Martin. There were eight articles, which named avariety of Democratic-Republican grievances against Chase concerning the trials he had presided over. The charges ranged from allegedly giving a false legal definition of treason during the trial of one John Fries in Article One toallegedly making very political comments to a Baltimore grand jury in Article Eight.
There was certainly plenty of evidence that Chase was a highly opinionated Federalist judge, who had perhaps acted with little regard for courtroom niceties, but there was very little proof that his actions were serious enough to be deemed constitutional violations.
Even the Democratic-Republican senators felt uncomfortable. Trial manager Rodney in his closing argument lamely begged the Senate:
Remember, if this honorable court acquit the defendant, they declare in the most solemnmanner, . . . that he has . . . behaved himself well, in a manner becoming the character of a judge worthy of his situation.
On 1 March 1805 the Senate voted on Chase's impeachment. On each of the eightarticles, enough Democratic-Republican senators joined the Federalists in voting "not guilty" so that Chase was acquitted of all the charges against him.Chase continued to serve on the Supreme Court until he died in June of 1811.
Chase's acquittal was a defeat for Jefferson, who may have planned to impeachChief Justice Marshall if Chase was found guilty. The Samuel Chase impeachment was the first and only time Congress impeached a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Related Cases
- Aaron Burr Trial, 25 Fed. Cas. 187 (1807).
- President Andrew Johnson Impeachment Trial.
- United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974).
Samuel Chase
Associate Justice Samuel Chase (1741-1811) was the only member of the SupremeCourt against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought in more than 200 years. In addition to being an outspoken leader in the American Revolutionand a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he sat on the Supreme Courtfor 15 years, from 1796 to his death in 1811.
Involvement with questionable business schemes forced his removal from the Continental Congress, but in the 1780s Chase managed to revive his political career. He became involved in further scandal as a Baltimore judge later in thedecade, and was very nearly removed by the state general assembly. Through the intercession of a friend, however, President George Washington was persuaded in 1796 to appoint Chase to the Supreme Court.
The impeachment proceedings brought against him, orchestrated by Thomas Jefferson in conjunction with the Congress, were unsuccessful, but Chase's careeras an effective judge was over. He suffered increasing attacks of gout and died on 19 June 1811.
Sources
The National Cyclopedia of American Biography New York: James T. White, 1895
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