I want to know if this is possible, legal, happen before and what happens after election.
I would think it would be unfair for the prisoner to be able to hold office, while other prisonmates are not allow to continue their old jobs when in prison.
Oh gosh, my US centric mind forgot to put down for USA.
Actually, it be quite interesting to find how other countries deal with this. 
There are laws about this… something about felons not being able to hold public office. I think its in some large important thingy regarding the USA… dunno really…
[end sarcasm]
Q: How many U.S. Presidents and Vice-Presidents have been arrested and/or convicted of any crime misdemeanor or felony?
A: One of each.
George Bush and Dick Cheney have both been arrested and convicted of drunk driving.
Back in the early 80s, there was a Northern Irish political prisoner named Bobby Sands who went on a hunger strike to
protest conditions in Belfast and the prisons up there,
especially Long Kesh prison.
Before he died of starvation, the people of the UK elected
him to Parliament.
About ten other hunger strikers died before the English
Government gave in to provide more humanitarian conditions.
An old article from the Washington Post speaks on Marion Barry’s conviction:
I’m not sure if this law is similar to those for other offices.
Enola Straight,
Did the person serve in parliament?
He got elected, but since he cannot attend or be sworned in, then does he still hold the office? Don’t you need to be present to vote or be sworned in?
I am assuming you have to be sworned in as US elected-officials have to.
[hijack]
The aforementioned page also refutes the lame cheapshot by DPWhite.
[/hijack]
lel,
Thanks for that. I am surprised to see that laws were passed for this. It almost seems like something like this happen before, huh?
FortMarcy,
Thanks for that link. Pretty cool. I knew about Pierce, but did not know about Adams.
James Michael Curley, a “colorful” (read: corrupt) politician of the old school, served 5 months in prison for mail fraud in 1947 while he was mayor of Boston, and even campaigned for re-election from there (unsuccessfully, finally). He wasn’t yet a prisoner when elected, though.
I thought he was elected, or at least tried to be elected, Governor of Massachusetts from prison as well, possibly at another time. I have vague recollections of him having served two prison sentences.
“Vote early, vote often, for Mayor Curley of Boston.”
Aside from the invective that’s probably inappropriate for GQ, are you saying that DPWhite is wrong because Pierce was arrested and then released, contradicting DP’s assertion that only one President and one Vice-president have been “arrested and/or convicted?” I suspect that really comes down to semantics on what is meant by “arrested.” Was Pierce “booked” and put in jail but never tried in court? Or was he released at the scene as soon as the officer realized who he was?
I think it’s a well-established fact that G.W. Bush has a drunk driving conviction in his past. For instance, our very own Cecil has this to say about Bush:
I’m sure a little Googling would turn up a Cheney link. Got one, DP?
Yes.
One can not be “released at the scene” unless one has been “arrested”.
Marion Barry, mayor of Washington DC
Cheney has not one but two drunk driving arrests and convictions on his record, both in his early 20’s. AFAIK, those are the first 2 convictions ever in the office of VP. Comments about this administration is “restoring honor and dignity to the White House” are best saved for GD or the Pit, though.
James Michael Curley was elected Alderman (now called City Councilor) in 1903 while in jail for taking a Civil Service exam for a friend. His federal stint in 1947, while mayor, was for mail fraud - the same way Al Capone was finally nailed. BTW, I thought the slogan, also a song, was “Vote often and early for James Michael Curley”.
More recently, there was a period in the '70’s when the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, the board that approves judicial nominations and parole applications, was actually able to reach a quorum in prison, after a series of convictions from a corruption investigation. They never actually convened there, though.
Huh? Police stop and talk to people all the time without formally arresting them.
Yes, but these people are under no obligation to stick around and talk with the police officer. They do not need to be released, since they are not in the custody of the police.
In the Pierce case, he was in the custody of a police officer. This means that he had been arrested, whether he was released at the scene or released later.
I was pretty sure they got Al Capone for tax fraud.