Now that the US House of Representatives has voted to impeach US President Donald Trump, the matter moves to the Senate for a trial which will be the third for an American President.
A two-thirds majority, basically 67 senators is required to convict and remove Trump.
Republicans control the Senate, 53-47, and Trump is widely expected to be acquitted.
Any senator could also propose a motion to dismiss the charges and a simple majority vote is needed for this.
But Democrats have argued that impeaching him is a moral necessity, even if he remains in office.
Trump is only the third president to face a Senate trial for “high crimes and misdemeanors".
The first two, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, were both acquitted.
Another president, Richard Nixon, resigned rather than face impeachment and trial.
The New York Times reports the trial is expected to begin in early January, and it’s unclear how long it will last.
Republicans and Democrats have already expressed an interest in keeping it short.
The 1999 trial of Bill Clinton who was tried on two articles of impeachment perjury and obstruction of justice lasted about five weeks.
For the trial, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi would appoint a team of lawmakers to act as prosecutors during the trial.
They are called managers, and they present the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
The Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts, would preside over the trial, and a legal team would defend Trump.
The White House counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to represent Trump, along with the President's outside lawyers.
The Senate would have to come to an agreement on the trial procedures.
But if the trial proceeds, there would be opening and closing statements, questions from senators to the prosecutors and defence lawyers, and, possibly, more subpoenas, evidence requests and witnesses called.
Deliberations would likely happen in a closed session before a vote.
Trump is charged with the Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress.
He was charged with Abuse of Power for his effort to withhold aid from Ukraine and get that country to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
The US President was charged with Obstruction of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with the oversight investigation.
[Source: New York Times]
