What can Congress do if a federal judge exhibits misconduct in office?

The House of Representatives holds the power of impeachment, the authority to indict a government official. The Senate can hold a trial and remove the person from office, if found guilty.

Impeachment is a two-step process: The House of Representatives brings charges (called articles of impeachment) against an official it believes is guilty of wrongdoing; if a simple majority of the House votes for impeachment, the official goes on trial in the Senate. In the Senate trial, a group of Representatives from the House act as the prosecution (called managers), while the Senate serves as the jury. In the trial of a Supreme Court justice, the Vice-President of the United States serves as the judge.

The Senate votes at the conclusion of the trial. If a two-thirds majority favors impeachment, the official is removed from office.

For more information, see Related Questions, below.