Nolo was born in 1971 as a publisher of self-help legal books. Guided by the motto “law for all,” our attorney authors and editors have been explaining the law to everyday people ever since. Learn more about our history and our editorial standards.
Each article that we publish has been written or reviewed by one of our editors, who together have over 100 years of experience practicing law. We strive to keep our information current as laws change. Learn more about our editorial standards.
1. To discredit, for example, to show that a witness is not believable—perhaps because the witness made statements that are inconsistent with their present testimony, or has a reputation for not being a truthful person.
2. The process of charging a public official, such as the U.S. president or a federal judge, with a crime or misconduct, which results in a trial to determine whether the official should be sanctioned or removed from office. Under the U.S. Constitution, impeachment is a political, not a criminal, proceeding. Officials are impeached—charged with misconduct—by the House of Representatives (U.S. Const. art. I, § 2, cl. 5) and are tried by the Senate. (U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 6.)