Politics & Government
PA Supreme Court Justice Convicted on Corruption Charges
An Allegheny County jury found Justice Joan Orie Melvin guilty of allowing her state-paid staff to perform campaign work.
An Allegheny County Common Pleas Court jury Thursday convicted suspended State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin on all but one count of using her former Superior Court staff, and the legislative staff of her sister, former state Sen. Jane Orie, to run campaigns for the Supreme court in 2003 and 2009, the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette reported.
The jury was hung on one count of official oppression against the suspended justice.
Melvin will likely be stripped of her seat on Pennsylvania's highest court, and lose her pension, according to Politicspa.
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Melvin's sister, Janine Orie, was found guilty on all counts, according to the PG. She worked as an administrative assistant to the justice.
Former Sen. Jane Orie is serving 2 1/2 to 10 years in prison for five felony convictions involving theft of service and conflict of interest for using her staff to perform political fundraising and campaign work.
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If Melvin is removed from the bench, she will be the second justice ever to be removed from the bench on the grounds of criminality.
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