Gavel Grab

BULLETIN: House lawmakers voted today for four articles of impeachment against Judge G. Thomas Porteous, paving the way for an impeachment trial in the Senate, according to an article in the Blog of Legal Times.

The House of Representative could add Louisiana Federal District Judge G. Thomas Porteous to the list of impeached federal judges. Impeachment for federal judges has only occurred seven times thoughout American history.

Judge Porteous, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, is accused of accepting money and gifts from litigators who appeared before his court. The New York Times reported that “two New Orleans lawyers who once worked with Judge Porteous said they had given him at least $20,000 in cash while he was a judge, including $2,000 stuffed in an envelope in 1999, just before Judge Porteous decided a major civil case in their favor.”

One of the last federal judges to be impeached, Alcee L. Hastings, who was impeached in 1989, is currently serving as a congressman for Florida.

For more information on Judge Porteous, go to Gavel Grab.