Peter Hoffer and N. E. H. Hull have observed that Pennsylvania was the only of the
Thirteen Colonies that "could base its impeachments upon its charter."[1] In its nineteenth article the 1682
Frame of Government of Pennsylvania ("Charter of Liberties") gave the Assembly the power to "continue so long as may be needful to impeach Criminals fit to be there impeached." The 1682 Charter of Liberties assigned responsibility for hearing
impeachment trials to the Council and governor. A
two-thirds vote would be required to convict.[1][2]
Nicholas More (chief justice) in 1685
Nicholas More, the chief justice of Pennsylvania, clerk of the Council, and provincial secretary, was impeached in 1685. Having no legal training, More poorly conducted himself in managing his offices. His actions annoyed the colonies
lower house, the Assembly.[1]
Assembly Speaker
John White interpreted the nineteenth article of the Frame of Government as granting the body a power similar to the
English Parliament’s
impeachment powers allowing it to indict for "illegal acts".[1]
Peter Hoffer and N. E. H. Hull have summarized the ten
articles of impeachment that were adopted by the Assembly against More as including charges accusing him of:[1]
Missing
circuit in the lower counties during a session of court
Acting in contempt of the president of the Council and the Council
In anticipation for an impeachment trial in the Council, an eleventh article of impeachment was added by the
impeachment managers (prosecutors) that were assigned by the Assembly alleging disregard for his duties.[1]
The impeachment was never tried by the Council.
William Penn was away from the colony at the time of the impeachment.[1] A letter outlining the impeachment was forwarded to Penn. Penn did not give his approval to More's impeachment. Penn was had confidence in More's abilities to perform in office and soon nominated him in 1686 to instead serve as one of the five commissioners for the executive branch of the Pennsylvania government. This effectively removed him from his office as chief justice.[1][3] However, More was later appointed back to again serve as the chief justice of the colony of Pennsylvania.[3]
Thomas Smith (associate justice) Edward Shippen IV (chief justice) Jasper Yates (associate justice)
Thomas McKean (governor) in 1807
Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Judges Thomas Clark, Walter Franklin, and Jacob Hibshman in 1817
Impeachments
On January 29, 1817, a memorial was presented to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives complaining of misconduct by both
Walter Franklin, president judge of the Court of Common Pleas of
Lancaster County, and
Jacob Hibshman, associate judge of the same court. This report was referred to a committee, which prepared a report recommending impeachments. Articles of impeachment were written against President Judge Walter Franklin and Associate Judges Jacob Hibshman and Thomas Clark.[6]