• Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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    4 months ago

    Without getting too technical, and someone please correct anything that may be represented incorrectly: It’s basically like a trial. The House is the prosecutor, and jury and the Senate is the judge. The plaintiff is the United States itself, and the defendant is the political figure (president, SC justice, etc)

    The House gathers / presents evidence and tries them then renders a verdict (Impeachment)

    The Senate is responsible for sentencing or acquitting. Without a 2/3 majority voting to remove them from office, the impeached is acquitted.

    In both of Trump’s, the House found him guilty of the charges (impeached) but the Republican controlled Senate acquitted him.

    Hard to edit it in on mobile, but see @ricecake@sh.itjust.works 's clarifications below to my analogy.

    • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      Impeachment is the decision to press charges, and the Senate trial is closer to the actual trial.

      “Charged and convicted” -> “impeached and convicted”

      Otherwise a perfectly good analogy. :)

      The distinction only matters for people who bring up due process concerns. The impeachment proceedings aren’t actually a trial, but a decision to have one, as such you aren’t obligated to the same ability to speak in your own defense as you would be at a proper trial. With the Senate trial there’s more expectation of due process because it’s an actual trial.