法律英语经典案例审判克林顿总统弹劾案Word格式.docx
- 文档编号:20758246
- 上传时间:2023-01-25
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:11
- 大小:30.03KB
法律英语经典案例审判克林顿总统弹劾案Word格式.docx
《法律英语经典案例审判克林顿总统弹劾案Word格式.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《法律英语经典案例审判克林顿总统弹劾案Word格式.docx(11页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
字体大小:
大中小
TheImpeachmentTrialofPresidentWilliamClinton
byDouglasO.Linder(2005)
In1999,foronlythesecondtimeinUnitedStateshistory,theSenateconductedanimpeachmenttrialofaPresident.TheacquittalofWilliamJeffersonClintononFebruary12cameasnogreatsurprise,giventhenearparty-linevoteonimpeachmentchargesintheHouseofRepresentativesleadingtothetrial.
Despiteitspredictableoutcome,theimpeachmenttrialofPresidentClintoniswellworthstudying,bothforwhatitsaysaboutthefailureofthejudiciaryandpoliticalinstitutionstorespondadequatelytoanunprecedentedsituation,andwhatittellsusaboutthefailuresofBillClinton,theall-too-humanoccupantofthenation'
shighestoffice.Thetrialalsoraisesfascinatingquestionsaboutthedistinctionbetweenpublicmoralityandprivatemorality.
Background:
ThePaulaJonesSexualHarassmentSuit
TheimpeachmentsagaofPresidentClintonhasitsoriginsinasexualharassmentlawsuitbroughtinArkansasinMay,1994byPaulaJones,aformerArkansasstateemployee.Inhersuit,JonesallegedthatonMay8,1991,whileshehelpedtostaffastate-sponsoredmanagementconferenceattheExcelsiorHotelinLittleRock,astatetrooperandmemberofGovernorClinton'
ssecuritydetail,DannyFerguson,approachedherandtoldherthattheGovernorwouldliketomeetherinhishotelsuite.Minuteslater,Jones,seeingthisasanopportunitytoadvancehercareer,tooktheelevatortoClinton'
ssuite.There,accordingtoherdisputedaccount,Clintonmadeaseriesofincreasinglyaggressivemoves,culminatinginhisdroppinghispantsexposinganerection——andthenaskingJonesto"
kissit."
JonesclaimedthatshestoodandtoldtheGovernor,"
I'
mnotthatkindofgirl."
Assheleft,Clintonstoppedherbythedoorandsaid,"
You'
reasmartgirl,let'
skeepthisbetweenourselves."
LawyersforClintonarguedthattheJonessuitwoulddistracthimfromtheimportanttasksofhisofficeandshouldnotbeallowedtogoforwardwhileheoccupiedtheWhiteHouse.Clinton'
simmunityclaimeventuallyreachedtheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt.TheCourtruledunanimouslyinMay,1997againstthePresident,andalloweddiscoveryinthecasetoproceed.AsFederalAppealsCourtJudge(andReaganappointee)RichardA.PosnernotedinAnAffairofState:
TheInvestigation,Impeachment,andTrialofPresidentClinton,theCourt'
s"
inept,"
"
unpragmatic,"
and"
backward-looking"
decisioninClintonvJones,andanearlierdecisionbytheCourtupholdingtheconstitutionalityoftheactauthorizingtheappointmentofindependentcounsels,hadmajorconsequences:
"
Clinton'
saffairwithMonicaLewinsky,anaffairintrinsicallydevoidofsignificancetoanyoneexceptLewinsky,wouldhaveremainedasecretfromthepublic.Thepublicwouldnothavebeenworsefornotknowingaboutit.Therewouldhavebeennoimpeachmentinquiry,noimpeachment,noconcernsaboutthemotivesbehindthePresident'
smilitaryactionsagainstterroristsandroguestatesinthesummerandfallof1998,nospectacleoftheUnitedStatesSenateplay-actingatadjudication.TheSupremeCourt'
sdecisionscreatedasituationthatledthePresidentandhisdefendersintothepatternofcornered-ratbehaviorthatengenderedaconstitutionalstormandthatmayhaveembitteredAmericanpolitics,weakenedthePresidency,distractedthefederalgovernmentfromessentialbusiness,andunderminedtheruleoflaw."
AsaresultoftheSupremeCourt'
saction,JudgeSusanWeberWrightalloweddiscoverytoproceedinthePaulaJoneslawsuit.JudgeWrightruledthatlawyersforJones,inordertohelpprovehersexualharassmentclaim,couldinquireintoanysexualrelationshipsthatClintonmighthavewithsubordinateseitherasGovernorofArkansasorasPresidentoftheUnitedStates.AcriticalmomentinthecascadeofeventsthatwouldeventuallyleadtoimpeachmentcameonDecember5,1997whenJones'
slawyerssubmittedalistofwomenthattheywouldliketodepose.IncludedonthelistthenameofMonicaLewinsky.
ThePresidentandMonicaLewinsky
MonicaLewinskycametoWashingtoninJuly1995toworkasaWhiteHouseinternatage21,newlygraduatedfromLewisandClarkCollegeinPortland.Inherfirstfewmonthsonthejob,theaggressiveandsexuallyexperiencedLewinskymetandflirtedwiththePresident,butnoopportunitiesforclosepersonalcontactarose.InNovember1995,however,LewinskywasassignedtotheWestWingandshesoonfoundherselfalonewithClinton.HeaskedifhecouldkissLewinsky.Shequicklyconsented.Laterthatevening,thetwowouldhavethefirstofwhateventuallywouldbetensexualencountersoverasixteen-monthperiod.Aftereightoftheencountershadtakenplace,inApril1996,Clinton'
sdeputychiefofstaff——mostlikelyawareofthethreattheyounginternposed——reassignedLewinskytotheapositionintheDepartmentofDefense.ThefollowingmonthClintontoldadisappointedLewinsky("
Hewasmysunshine,"
shelatertoldagrandjury)hewasendingtherelationship,buthereviveditbrieflyinearly1997.
Theencountersfollowedapredictablepattern.GenerallytheyoccurredonweekendmorningsinandaroundtheOvalOffice(includingastudy,ahallway,andabathroom),whenfewpeopleexceptClinton'
spersonalsecretary,BettyCurrie,wouldbearoundtheWestWing.Althoughmanyprivatemeetingsbetweenthetwoinvolvednosexualactivity,whentheydidtheygenerallyincludedLewinskyfellatingthePresidentandthePresidentfondlingherbreastsandgenitalia.Onthreeoccasions,LewinskyperformedoralsexwhilethePresidenttalkedonthephonetomembersofCongress.LewinskytoldClintonshewouldliketohavevaginalintercoursewithhim,butheresisted.Healsoterminatedtheoralsexsessionsbeforeejaculationuntiltheirlasttwoencounters.
WhenClintonagaintoldLewinskyinMay1997thattheirsexualrelationshipwasover,sheredoubledeffortsthatbeganthepreviousyeartoenlistthePresident'
sassistanceinfindingemployment.LewinskyreceivedajobofferfromU.N.AmbassadorBillRichardsonseveralmonthslater,butsheturneditdown,preferringtofindprivatesectoremployment.ClintongolfingbuddyandpowerbrokerVernonJordan,actingatwhathepresumedtobethePresident'
srequestthroughBettyCurrie,metwithLewinskytodiscussemploymentpossibilitiesinNovember1997.
LessthantwoweeksafterLewinsky'
snameappearedontheJonesdepositionlist,Clintontoldherthenews.Headvisedherthatfilinganaffidavitmightavoidthenecessityofadeposition(butonly,heneedhardlyhavesaid,ifshedeniedasexualrelationship),andheremindedheroftheir"
coverstory"
forherfrequenttripstoOvalOffice——thatshewasjustdeliveringdocuments.TwodaysafterdiscussingthematterwithClinton,LewinskyreceivedasubpoenatoappearforadepositioninJanuary1998.ShecalledVernonJordan,whoagainmetwithherandreferredhertoanattorney,whoproceededtodraftanaffidavitthatreflectedherdenialofanysexualinvolvementwiththePresident.
JustafterChristmas,LewinskyspokeagainwithClinton,raisingherconcernthatthesubpoenahadrequestedthatshebringtothedepositionanygifts——andthereweremany——thatshehadreceivedfromhim.AlthoughClintonapparentlyinformedLewinskythatshewasobligatedtogivethelawyersforJonesanygiftsinherpossession,acallcamelaterthatdayfromCurrie,indicatingthatsheunderstoodLewinskyhadsomeitemsshe'
dliketogiveherforsafekeeping.(Currie,inhertestimony,disagreedwithLewinsky'
sversionofeventsandclaimedthatthecallaboutthepresentscamefromLewinsky,nother.)CurriedrovetoLewinsky'
shomeandcartedawayaboxofClintongiftsandputthemunderherbed.
InearlyJanuary1998,Lewinskysignedanaffidavit,withtheintentoffilingitfortheJonescase,claimingherrelationshipwiththePresidentwasnon-sexual.ThedayafterLewinskyshowedtheaffidavittoVernonJordan,JordanmadeacalltoRonaldPerelman,afriendandmemberoftheBoardofDirectorsofRevlon,encouraginghimtohireLewinsky.ThejobofferfromRevloncamejusttwodayslater.
LindaTrippGetsInvolved
ThesourceoftheinformationthatputMonicaLewinsky'
snameonthedepositionlistfortheJonescasewasLindaTripp.TripphadservedintheBushWhiteHouse,andwasheldoverinherjobwhenClintonbecamepresidentin1993.TrippcametodespiseClinton.In1996,whensheconsideredhowtoexposewhatsheconsideredtobeWestWingscandals,shecontactedaconservativeliteraryagentandself-describedClinton-hater,LucianneGoldberg.GoldbergurgedTripptowriteanexpose'
butatthattimeTripp'
sconcernwithkeepingherjobcausedhertorejectthesuggestion.
Tripp'
snamecametopublicattentioninAugust1997whenitappearedinaNewsweekarticleinwhichsherecalledrunningintoaWhiteHousevolunteer,KathleenWilley,shortlyafterWilleyhadbeenkissedandfondledbyClintoninhisprivateoffice.(Willey,accordingtoTripp,was"
happyandjoyful"
andtheincidentwas"
notacaseofsexualharassment."
)PaulaJones'
slawyers,ofcourse,tooknoteofTripp'
saccount——andundoubtedlydeterminedatthattimetoaddTripptotheirlistofpotentialwitnesses.
MonthsbeforetheWilleystorybroke,however,Tripplearnedfromherthen-friend,MonicaLewinsky,thatshewashavinganaffairwiththePresident.TripptoldthereporterforNewsweek,MichaelIsikoff,whenheapproachedhertoaskaboutWilley'
sencounterwithClintonthatthebetterstoryinvolvedaWhiteHouseintern,whosheleftunnamed.Tripp,partlyforherownself-defenseandpa
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 法律 英语 经典 案例 审判 克林顿 总统 弹劾