In re Impeachment of halfcat 2023 SDSC 4
In re Impeachment of halfcat 2023 SDSC 4
| Alternate citation | In re Impeachment of halfcat 2023 SDSC IV |
|---|---|
| Date of judgment | 7th March 2023 |
| Justices | Chief Justice Literal Justice Match Stix |
| Held | The Senate’s impeachment vote of halfcat was legitimate and therefore halfcat was impeached from his position as Supreme Court Justice following the subsequent public referendum. |
| Ruling | 2-0 |
| Applicable precedent | Senate procedural errors may be forgiven if they did not cause confusion among the Senators and there is little to no benefit in voiding the Senate’s action, 3 |
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MAJORITY OPINION by Chief Justice Literal
(with Justice Match Stix agreeing)
Introduction
[1]. This case arose following the Senate impeachment vote of halfcat and the way it was carried out procedurally. The issue in this case is whether a procedural error voided the Senate's vote as a whole and the subsequent public referendum in turn. We hold that the severity of the error was not enough to justify voiding the Senate vote.
Facts
[2]. The Senate vote posted on the subreddit did not specify what role halfcat was being impeached from in its text, despite halfcat holding the roles of Supreme Court Justice, Judge, and Moderator. The request for the impeachment vote was made with the intention that halfcat be impeached from his position as a Justice. Every senator cast their vote with the understanding that they were impeaching halfcat from his position as a Justice.
Discussion
[3]. It is good practice for the Speaker of the Senate to diligently specify all the relevant details in the Senate votes they post to the subreddit. This avoids unnecessary confusion and reduces the necessity of adjudication over procedural details as in the present case. Despite the error made in creating the Senate vote post, every senator knew what they were voting for. To void that vote and the subsequent public referendum would be going too far in blocking the will of the Senate and of the people with no foreseeable benefit as a result.
Conclusion
[4]. The court finds that the Senate's impeachment vote of halfcat from the position of Supreme Court Justice was legitimate and therefore the subsequent public referendum finalized the impeachment and removed him from his position.
