Justice Joan Orie Melvin staying on state Supreme Court amid probe
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Justice Joan Orie Melvin continues to sit on the state Supreme Court even after receiving a letter last month identifying her as the target of a criminal investigation.
Justice Melvin, a Republican, received the letter and subpoena to appear before the Allegheny County investigating grand jury on Dec. 15 -- the day before additional charges were filed against her sister Janine.
The justice received the letter and subpoena about a week before. She did not testify and has not been charged.
Justice Melvin's attorney, J. Alan Johnson, could not be reached for comment.
Mike Manko, a spokesman for the Allegheny County district attorney's office, had no comment.
State Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, and Janine Orie initially were charged in the spring of 2010 with using the senator's staff to help run the Supreme Court election campaign for now-Justice Melvin.
The initial trial against Jane and Janine Orie ended in March 2011 without a verdict after the prosecution accused the defense of submitting falsified documents to the jury.
Subsequent to that, prosecutors added forgery and perjury charges to the counts against Jane Orie.
And on Dec. 16, after the return of a second grand-jury presentment, Janine Orie was charged with four additional counts, including theft of services, criminal solicitation and tampering with evidence.
At a preliminary hearing on those charges, a former law clerk, who worked for Justice Melvin when she served on the Common Pleas and Superior courts, testified that she was required to write the woman's campaign speeches and travel with her.
All of the additional charges have been merged together, and Jane and Janine Orie are scheduled to go on trial before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning on Feb. 13.
In the meantime, Justice Melvin remains on the Supreme Court, although she has removed herself from any case involving the Allegheny County district attorney's office.
Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille declined to comment on the reports regarding Justice Melvin, but said the usual practice in Pennsylvania is for judges to be suspended with pay once charges are filed.
First Published January 11, 2012 12:00 am
