[3] He ordered the state to stop giving money to individuals or organizations that "convey religious messages or otherwise advance religion" with tax dollars.

[3] Judge Porteous also said there was ample evidence that many of the groups participating in the Governor's Program on Abstinence were "furthering religious objectives.

[5] He had previously ruled in 1999 against a Louisiana law aimed at banning the second trimester abortion procedure known as intact dilation and extraction.

[6] In 2001, Porteous filed for bankruptcy,[7][8] which led to revelations in the press about his private life, specifically the fact that he was alleged to have had close ties with local bail bond magnate Louis Marcotte III,[7][8] at the center of a corruption probe.

[9] The certificate stated that there was substantial evidence that Porteous "repeatedly committed perjury by signing false financial disclosure forms under oath," thus concealing "cash and things of value that he solicited and received from lawyers appearing in litigation before him.

[11] The certificate also stated that there was substantial evidence that Porteous had "repeatedly committed perjury by signing false financial disclosure forms under oath" in connection with his bankruptcy, allowing "him to obtain a discharge of his debts while continuing his lifestyle at the expense of his creditors.

[12][13] On October 15, 2008, House Judiciary Chair John Conyers announced that Alan I. Barron had been hired as Special Counsel[14] to lead an inquiry into Porteous's impeachment.

Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) were designated as Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, to lead the task force conducting the inquiry.

[16] In October 2009, Reps. Conyers and Lamar S. Smith introduced a resolution[17] asking to access the judge's tax returns as part of the investigation.

[18] The task force scheduled the first hearings on the case for November 17 and 18, with more meetings in December before a final recommendation was made.

[19] On November 13, Porteous sued the task force, claiming that the panel was violating his Fifth Amendment rights by using testimony given under immunity in making the case against him.

The subjects of the articles of impeachment, and the corresponding vote of the House of Representatives, appear below: The same day, Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) were appointed managers to conduct the trial in the Senate.