Froth Slosh B'Gosh

Melvin Sentenced To House Arrest

As she is a non-violent felon, I'm OK with most of this.

Disgraced former Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice Joan Orie Melvin was  sentenced today to house arrest followed by probation and ordered to send  handwritten apologies on photographs of herself to every judge in the  Commonwealth.

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lester Nauhaus sentenced Ms.  Orie Melvin to three years' house arrest with two years' probation to follow...

She must serve in a soup kitchen three times a week and can otherwise only  leave her house for church.

Judge Nauhaus also ordered that an official county photographer take a  photograph of Ms. Orie Melvin, on copies of which she must apologize to each of  Pennsylvania's judges. She must pay for the cost.

Her sentence also includes $55,000 in fines, a prohibition on using the title  "justice" during her term and handwriting apologies to former members of her  campaign staff and that of her sister, former state Sen. Jane Orie, whom she  made engage in illegal work.

Our prisons are crowded enough without adding people to the prison population who are no real danger to society, so house arrest is entirely appropriate.  However, what is up with writing out apologies on photos of herself?  That's just weird.

Judge To The Big House!

Jury finds now former judge Joan Orie Melvin guilty on all but one count.

Justice Orie Melvin faced seven counts, including three counts of felony  theft of services, one count of conspiracy to commit theft of services, also a  felony, and one count each of misdemeanor misapplication of government property,  official oppression and conspiracy to tamper with evidence.

Ms. Orie, Justice Orie Melvin and Justice Orie Melvin's daughter, Casey  Melvin, left the courthouse in a black Land Rover after getting a sheriff's  deputy escort out of the building.

Typically, defendants are sent directly to jail to await sentencing.  Four felony convictions and she's allowed to leave??? She should have been immediately cuffed, and taken to the Allegheny County Jail. When I worked in Virginia, one judge in Spotsylvania County routinely told convicted felons, "You might as well start getting some credit for time served while awaiting sentencing."

The Slut Shaming Defense??

There's been some cryptically interesting developments in the Orie Affair, concerning the ongoing case against Joan Orie Melvin. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Melvin's attorneys

 "are seeking to reveal the identity of a woman who claimed in a federal lawsuit that she contracted a sexually transmitted disease from a doctor she'd been dating.

Justice Orie Melvin's attorneys asked -- and received permission -- to file their supporting briefs under seal. They claimed in their filing that the woman's allegations have "direct bearing" on Justice Orie Melvin's trial."

Now, what possible bearing could the identity of this woman have on Melvin's corruption case?  I wonder if the woman could be one of the witnesses against Melvin, and the defense strategy is to discredit her testimony by pulling out the scarlet letter and shouting "Slutty slut slut!!11!"? 

Shorter Joan Orie Melvin

I'm above the law.

And in a related development, her former colleagues tell her to go pound salt.

Go Directly To Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200

Orie sent to the slammer. While convicted felons like Orie should certainly be punished, what is gained by sending a non-violent offender to prison for up to a decade? Her career is ruined, her finances are in shambles, she can no longer practice law, she is disgraced. Its better in my opinion to have her out of prison, and sentenced to toil in a low paying job to pay off her debt. After all, what is the worst thing you can do to the powerful and wealthy? Make them insignificant and reduced to penury.

Orie Resigns, Accusations From Melvin's Camp

Jane Orie, facing sentancing following her felony and misdemenor convictions, resigned from the Pennsylvania Senate yesterday.

Meanwhile, her sister, accused Pennsylvania State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie-Melvin, is claiming through her attorney that Allegheny County DA Zappala is engaged in a political vendetta against the Orie family.

And to that, I say, "So what?"  I don't have a clue if Zappala has a vendetta against the Ories or not, but the fact of the matter is, a grand jury found enough evidence to warrant charges.  If the evidence isn't there, no charges would be forthcoming.

Bottom line, if you have political enemies, be they real or perceived, its not a good idea to provide them with ammunition they can use against you.

Orie-Melvin Charged

State Supreme Court Justice faces charges in the Orie Affair.  Looks like she's charged with four felony and five misdemeanor counts.  The criminal complaint against her is here. 

The charges include three counts of theft of services, two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, two counts of official oppression and one count each of criminal conspiracy to commit theft of services and misapplication of entrusted property of government.

The grand jury's presentment is here, and it sounds like working for the Orie sisters was a nightmare.

 Its good that she's stepping aside (although not resigning her seat) until the case is resolved.  So as it stands, we now have one Orie convicted and awaiting sentencing, another awaiting trial, and now a third facing charges.   

Orie Guilty On 15 Counts, Aquitted On Ten

Looks like someone is headed to the Big House.

An Allegheny County jury convicted state Sen. Jane Orie today of 14 of the 24 counts in her public corruption trial and acquitted the McCandless Republican of others after five days of deliberation.

The jury found Ms. Orie guilty of multiple counts of theft of services, conflict of interest, ethics violations, tampering with evidence and forgery, and a single count of conspiracy.

Ms. Orie was found not guilty of counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and election code violations. The jury also found her not guilty on counts related to her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.

The guilty verdicts jeopardize her seat in Harrisburg and her state pension.

I still have to wonder if there is anyone in Harrisburg who isn't corrupt.

DeWeese Guilty

And another one gone.

Jurors have found Democratic state Rep. Bill DeWeese, the onetime House speaker from Waynesburg, guilty on five of six felony counts in a case in which he was accused of directing his legislative staffers to perform political activities during state work hours.

The sound you just heard was the Orie sisters and Judge Melvin puckering.

 

The Melvin Matter

The P-G is reporting that demands for the resignation of State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin are mounting.

"It is time for Justice Melvin to leave the Supreme Court, either voluntarily or involuntarily," Tim Potts, leader of Democracy Rising PA, told a news conference Tuesday.

It was disclosed last week that Justice Melvin is the target of a grand jury investigation into illegal campaign activities.

The plot thickens....