How do you conduct an impeachment trial? Chief Justice John Roberts will have to figure that out
WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. will almost certainly try to keep a low profile in the upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
But given the lack of a bipartisan agreement in the Senate, Roberts may find himself nevertheless called upon to weigh in on the most difficult questions, including whether witnesses will testify.
For only the third time in American history, the chief justice will carry out one of the special duties assigned to him by the Constitution. The framers of 1787 foresaw that the vice president, who usually presides over the Senate, would have a clear conflict of interest, since he would assume the highest office if the president were convicted by two-thirds of the senators.
Most legal experts expect Roberts will have a largely ceremonial role rather than a pivotal one
