Yesterday, we told you that the Senate had begun impeachment proceedings against Judge Samuel B. Kent, a Texas judge who is serving a 33-month sentence in federal prison after admitting he made unwanted advances toward at least two members of his own staff.

Today, Judge Kent submitted a letter of resignation from the bench, effective next Tuesday. Earlier, Kent offered to resign from his lifetime appointment, but not until 2010. In the meantime, he would have received his full $174,000 annual from his jail cell.

Sens. Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell said today that the judge had sent his letter of resignation after receiving a summons from the Senate to answer the impeachment charges against him.

Copies of Kent's letter have been forwarded to the president, as well as to the 12-member impeachment committee that is building its case against him. His resignation will mostly make impeachment unnecessary, since the process itself is expected to take several weeks, which would be longer than the time Kent intends to serve.

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