Also known as:proditions · proditor · proditors · proditorie · proditorious · treason · betrayal · traitor
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
An archaic noun denoting treason or treachery.
Sources & Authorities
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Interstate Extradition Demand
Parker Phillips faces charges of treason in State A after levying war against its government. He flees across the border into State B. The governor of State A issues a formal demand for his return. State B must deliver him to face trial in the state with jurisdiction over the crime.
Presidential Impeachment Proceedings
Preston Pratt, while serving as President, directs officials to aid foreign enemies in exchange for personal gain. Congress investigates the conduct as treason, sometimes called prodition in older writings. The House votes articles of impeachment. The Senate then tries the charges to determine whether conviction and removal follow.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Statutes
Common Law
Restatements
Dictionaries
Paula Pierce obtains documents detailing a government official's treason, historically termed prodition, and plans to publish them. The executive branch seeks an injunction to block release. A court must decide whether the national security claim justifies suppressing the information before publication occurs.
New York Times Co. v. United States403 U.S. 713 (1971)
Economic Regulation Challenge
Patrick Phan owns a business accused of treason through secret dealings that undermine state authority, an act once labeled prodition. A new wage law applies to his operations. He challenges the statute as exceeding legislative power. The court weighs whether the regulation survives review under the applicable standard.
West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish300 U.S. 379 (1937)
Political Question Determination
Pedro Pacheco alleges that district lines were drawn to protect officials who committed treason, referred to as prodition in archaic usage. Voters seek judicial intervention to redraw the map. The court must decide whether the claim presents a justiciable controversy or remains a political question for the legislature.
Baker v. Carr369 U.S. 186, 211
Legislative Veto Dispute
Piper Patel receives a deportation order after evidence surfaces of her treason, once styled prodition. Congress attempts to override the order through a legislative veto. The court examines whether that mechanism complies with constitutional requirements for altering executive action.
Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Jagdish Rai Chadha462 U.S. 919, 954 n. 16, 103 S.Ct. 2764, 2785 n. 16, 77 L.Ed.2d 317
Common questions
Frequently Asked
4
What conduct constitutes prodition under the Constitution?+
Prodition is an archaic term for treason. Treason against the United States consists only of levying war against them or adhering to their enemies by giving them aid and comfort. Conviction requires testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or a confession in open court.
How does prodition affect presidential removal?+
Prodition is an archaic synonym for treason. The President may be removed only upon impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Does the Constitution require extradition for prodition across state lines?+
Prodition is an archaic term for treason. A person charged with treason who flees to another state must be delivered up on demand of the executive authority of the state from which the person fled.
Can Congress remove a President for prodition without following impeachment procedures?+
No. Prodition is an archaic term for treason. The Constitution requires impeachment by the House followed by conviction in the Senate for treason or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
541 U.S. 36 (2004)Evidence
…occurred in the great political trials of the 16th and 17th centuries. One such was the 1603 trial of Sir Walter Raleigh for treason. Lord Cobham, Raleigh's alleged accomplice, had implicated him in an examination before the Privy Council and in a letter. At Raleigh's trial, these were read to the jury. Raleigh argued…