# Is there any circumstances that the POTUS can be legally executed within the jurisdiction of the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538 "2017-11-02T19:15:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/21 "2017-11-03T01:52:01Z")
US v. Nixon was litigated over a subpoena, and wasn’t a civil suit or a criminal proceeding charging Nixon with a crime. Jones v. Clinton is a good example. I thought action on the thing had been stayed until after he was done serving President, but I was wrong. Why I should look things up. I am fairly certain I recently read something about one of Trump’s defenders, whether on or out of government, having asserted he can’t be charged with a crime while sitting as president. But I read so much about him these days there’s no way I could chase down a cite. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/22 "2017-11-03T02:36:40Z")
Seriously, would someone who had achieved the Presidency be stupid enough to commit murder, and think they could get away with it?? Oh I forgot, for a moment who was the POTUS, nm. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/23 "2017-11-03T04:33:54Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Seriously, would someone who had achieved the Presidency be stupid enough to commit murder, and think they could get away with it?? Oh I forgot, for a moment who was the POTUS, nm. **Moderator Note** **Beckdaweck** , political jabs are not permitted in General Questions. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/24 "2017-11-03T04:54:43Z")
Oops, sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/25 "2017-11-03T05:25:45Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > By civil authority, or military authority? POTUS is the **civilian head** of the military. Unless the military was already running the country under [martial law](https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Martial+Law), POTUS’ legal issue(s) should be civilian. ---
**Author:** ![AI\_Proofreader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@AI\_Proofreader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AI_Proofreader)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/26 "2017-11-03T06:59:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Seriously, would someone who had achieved the Presidency be stupid enough to commit murder, and think they could get away with it?? Oh I forgot, for a moment who was the POTUS, nm. He did that pretty much from day one… murder would probably be tough to prosecute, but gross negligence and manslaughter wouldn’t be too much of a stretch given that Obama refused to authorize the same drone strike due to very sketchy intelligence: [Drone Strike Kills 8-year old American Girl, 10 women and children on 01/29/17](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-navy-seals-yemen-raid-nawar-al-awlaki-william-ryan-owens-donald-trump-intelligence-a7558516.html) We’ve finally found a politician that keeps his campaign promises, though: ““The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.” - Donald Trump ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/27 "2017-11-03T07:15:53Z")
What a terrible reality we’ve come to live in! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/28 "2017-11-03T14:18:05Z")
> [@AI\_Proofreader](#): > > He did that pretty much from day one… murder would probably be tough to prosecute, but gross negligence and manslaughter wouldn’t be too much of a stretch given that Obama refused to authorize the same drone strike due to very sketchy intelligence: > > [Drone Strike Kills 8-year old American Girl, 10 women and children on 01/29/17](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-navy-seals-yemen-raid-nawar-al-awlaki-william-ryan-owens-donald-trump-intelligence-a7558516.html) > > We’ve finally found a politician that keeps his campaign promises, though: > > ““The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.” > > - Donald Trump **MODERATOR INSTRUCTIONS** NO MORE COMMENTS AIMED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT TRUMP. In General Questions we are interested in the legal principles governing the OP. Please address those questions factually. If you want to debate other issues, take it to Great Debates. Further inappropriate political commentary will be subject to a warning. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538/29 "2017-11-03T14:20:41Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > What a terrible reality we’ve come to live in! **Beckdawrek** , again, comments like this serve no purpose in GQ. In the future, let’s refrain from them, especially when you’ve already received a note in the thread. Colibri General Questions Modertor [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-circumstances-that-the-potus-can-be-legally-executed-within-the-jurisdiction-of-the-us/800538.md?page=1)