Senator-judges or jurors?
| FRONTLINE |
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| Ninez Cacho-Olivares |
One wonders, given the various displays of certain senators in the Senate impeachment court, whether they are performing as judges or jurors, given the vagueness of the Senate impeachment rule that gives the senators in the court the right to ask questions of the witness and counsels — both defense and prosecution.
This is important in the sense that if they wish to portray themselves before the public as judges in the impeachment court, following usual courtroom rules, then they have every right to question the witness and even question and speak directly to the counsels representing either party.
If they wish to portray themselves as jurors, however, following the American jury system, no juror is allowed to ask directly witnesses, or even the counsels, questions, although, the jurors may, outside of the courtroom, send word to the judge on a question of evidence or law that may have proven confusing to the jurors. But even this is usually done through another officer, and not directly to the judge in his courtroom..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120121com2.html
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