No Jail Time for Former PA Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin

Convicted former State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin was sentenced Tuesday to house arrest followed by probation and must send written apologies on photographs of herself to every judge in the Commonwealth, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

An Allegheny County Common Pleas Court jury convicted Orie Melvin in February on all but one count of using her former Superior Court staff and that of her sister to run campaigns.

Orie Melvin was sentenced to three years of house arrest followed by two years of probation and must serve in a soup kitchen three times a week, the P-G said. 

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lester Nauhaus also ordered that Orie Melvin have her photo taken with an official county photographer so that she can personally apologize to each of the state's judges using the copies that she must also pay for.

Orie Melvin's sentence also includes $55,000 in fines and an order to write apologies to members of her former campaign staff and the legislative staff of her sister, former state Sen. Jane Orie, whom she used in campaigns for the Supreme court in 2003 and 2009, the newspaper reports.

"I don't believe that Joan Melvin is an evil person but I do believe that her arrogance is stunning," Judge Nauhaus said today in court.

WTAE-TV reports Orie Melvin must also send letters of apology to her family, including all six of her children. The news station said Orie Melvin didn't show much emotion, but her daughter broke down in tears, begging the judge not to send her mother to prison.

Orie Melvin's sister, Janine Orie, worked as an administrative assistant to the justice and was found guilty on all counts earlier this year. She was sentenced to one year house arrest, two years of probation and must also write letters of apology to family and staff. 

Also, the only time the two sisters can leave the house is to attend church. 

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.

The Orie family has lived and been active in political and civic affairs in northern suburban communities for years.

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