Article XV, Section 2 of the Texas Constitution ("Trial of Impeachment of Certain Officers by Senate")

As amended November 7, 1995:

Impeachment of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Comptroller and the Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and District Court shall be tried by the Senate.

Editor Comments

This section has been amended once.

In 1995, the constitutional office of state treasurer was abolished.

At that time, the word "Treasurer" was removed from this section.

—Attorney Steve Smith

Recent Decisions

None.

Historic Decisions

• Ferguson v. Maddox, 263 S.W. 888, 892 (Tex. 1924) ("The Constitution in this matter [] created nothing new. By it, something existing and well understood was simply adopted. The power granted to the House to 'impeach,' and the Senate to try 'impeachment,' carries with it, by inevitable implication, the power to the one to prefer and to the other to try charges for such official delinquencies, wrongs, or malfeasances as justified impeachment according to the principles established by the common law and the practice of the English Parliament and the parliamentary bodies in America. The grant of the general power of 'impeachment' properly and sufficiently indicates the causes for its exercise.")

Library Resources

• Vernon's Annotated Constitution of the State of Texas (this multi-volume and up-to-date resource is available at all law libraries and many municipal libraries)

• The Texas State Constitution: A Reference Guide (this one-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)

• The Constitution of the State of Texas: An Annotated and Comparative Analysis (this two-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)

Online Resources

• Constitution of the State of Texas (1876) (this resource is published and maintained by the University of Texas School of Law)

• Amendments to the Texas Constitution Since 1876 (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Council)

• Reports Analyzing Proposed Amendments (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Reference Library)