civil officer

2 definitions found

civil officer - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  civil officer
      n 1: a person who exercises authority over civilian affairs
           [syn: civil authority, civil officer]

civil officer - Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) :

  CIVIL OFFICER. The constitution of the United States, art. 2, s. 4, 
  provides, that the president, vice-president, and civil officers of the 
  United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and 
  conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. By 
  this term are included all officers of the United States who hold their 
  appointments under the national government, whether their duties are 
  executive or judicial, in the highest or the lowest departments; of the 
  government, with the exception of officers of the army and navy. Rawle on 
  the Const. 213; 2 Story, Const. Sec. 790; a senator of the United States, it 
  was decided, was not a civil officer, within the meaning of this clause in 
  the constitution. Senate Journals, 10th January, 1799; 4 Tuck. Bl. Com. 
  Appx. 57, 58; Rawle, Const. 213; Serg. on Const. Law, 376; Story, Const. 
  Sec. 791.