ALBANY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) –The assembly judiciary committee has already opened impeachment hearings. If that committee moves an impeachment resolution to the full assembly, you may be wondering about the process under the New York State constitution.
A majority vote is required of the 150 assembly members, with 76 votes. However, impeachment is just an allegation, think of it as an indictment.
If impeached by the assembly, Cuomo would have to step aside temporarily, and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul would take over as governor, while a special impeachment court conducts a trial.
That court would be composed of essentially a 69-person jury, with the seven judges of the state’s highest court, the court of appeals. Of the members of the state senate that would include 62 of the 63.
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins would be excluded, because she’d move up and serve as Lieutenant Governor while Hochul takes over for Cuomo.
A two-thirds majority vote of that special court is required to convict the governor. That’s 46 votes to convict and remove him from office. Hochul would then serve out the remainder of Andrew Cuomo’s term.
First things first, the Assembly Judiciary Committee would need to call more witnesses, if needed, and conclude the first phase of the impeachment process.
