delta1 wrote:wondering if the courts have ever determined if impeachment is similar to a criminal trial, and would result in double jeopardy if an impeached official is charged criminally for the same offenses upon leaving office...
Impeachment does not preclude criminal charges. But, neither side wants to see a President, current or former, in a criminal court. If their guy can face criminal charges after his term is up a LOT of behind the scene's shenanigans will come to light as part of discovery. But, that means one of our Presidents could face the same thing and our dirty laundry could come to light too. That's why Presidential pardons are important to both sides. Look at all of the political pardons that have been handed out over the years. If Nixon had been impeached he still would have faced criminal charges once out of office with no guarantee of a Pardon had a Democrat followed him into office. Leaving when he did halted the impeachment process and made his VP, Gerald Ford, President. Who then granted what, at the time, was a very controversial unconditional pardon and made the whole issue moot.
I think it would take something outrageously egregious to make our government put a President on trial. It's not fair but the current thinking seems to be that we'd rather let a President get away with some things to avoid weakening and embarrassing the office and country.
