Title: Chapter 123 - Article 1

Chapter 123. 
Impeachment. 
Article 1. 
The Court. 
§ 123‑1.  Senate is court of impeachment; quorum.
The court for the trial of impeachments shall be the Senate. A majority of the members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum. (Const., art. 4, s. 3; 1868‑9, c. 168, s. 1; Code, ss. 2923, 2924; Rev., s. 4623; C.S., s. 6244.)

§ 123‑2.  Chief Justice presides in impeachment of Governor.
When the Governor of the State, or Lieutenant Governor, upon whom the powers and duties of the office of Governor have devolved, is impeached, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall preside; and in a case requiring the Chief Justice to preside, notice shall be given him, by order of the Senate, of the time and place fixed for the consideration of the articles of impeachment, with a request to attend; and the Chief Justice shall preside over the Senate during the consideration of said articles upon the trial of the person impeached. But the Chief Justice shall not vote on any question during the trial, and shall pronounce decision only as the organ of the Senate with its assent. (Const., art. 4, s. 4; 1868‑9, c. 168, s. 6; Code, s. 2927; Rev., s. 4624; C.S., s. 6245.)

§ 123‑3.  Power of the Senate as a court.
The Senate, as a court, shall have power to compel the attendance of parties and witnesses, to enforce obedience to its orders, mandates, writs, precepts, and judgments, to preserve order, to punish, in a summary way, contempts of its authority, orders, mandates, writs, precepts, or judgments, to adjourn from time to time, and to make all lawful rules and regulations which it may deem essential or conducive to the ends of justice. (1868‑9, c. 168, s. 4; Code, s. 2926; Rev., s. 4626; C.S., s. 6246.)

§ 123‑4.  Power of presiding officer.
The presiding officer of the Senate shall have power:
(1)	To direct all necessary preparations in the Senate chamber.
(2)	To make and issue by himself or by the clerk of the Senate all orders, mandates, writs, and precepts authorized by law or by the Senate.
(3)	To direct all the forms of procedure during the trial not otherwise specially provided for.
(4)	To decide in the first instance, without a division, all questions of evidence and incidental questions; but the same shall, on demand of one fifth of the members present, be decided by yeas and nays. (1868‑9, c. 168, s. 5; Code, s. 2927; Rev., s. 4627; C.S., s. 6247.)

§ 123‑5.  Causes for impeachment.
Each member of the Council of State, each justice of the General Court of Justice, and each judge of the General Court of Justice shall be liable to impeachment for the commission of any felony, or the commission of any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, or for malfeasance in office, or for willful neglect of duty. (1868‑9, c. 168, s. 16; Code, s. 2937; Rev., s. 4628; C.S., s. 6248; 1973, c. 1420.)

NC General Statutes - Chapter 123 Article 1