"High Crimes and Misdemeanors"

"American History a Survey",  Published - 1961;  Current, Williams, Freidel



page 182


"While the case of Marbury v. Madison was still pending, President Jefferson prepared for a renewed assault upon that Federalist stronghold, the judiciary.  If he could not remove the most obnoxious of the judges directly, perhaps he could do so indirectly through the process of impeachment.  According to the Constitution, the House of Representatives was empowered to bring impeachment charges against any civil officer for "high crimes and misdemeanors, " and the Senate sitting as a court was authorized to try the officer on the charges.  Jefferson sent evidence to  the House to show that one of the district judges, John Pickering, of New Hampshire, was unfit for his position.  The House accordingly impeached him, and the Senate, despite his obvious insanity, found him guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.  He was impeached."