Samuel Chase Impeachment

Associate Justice Samuel Chase (1741-1811) was the only member of the Supreme Court against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought in more than 200 years. In addition to being an outspoken leader in the American Revolution and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he sat on the Supreme Court for 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 the decade, 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 career as an effective judge was over. He suffered increasing attacks of gout and died on 19 June 1811.