May 19, 2012 04:40 PM UTC

At Least She's Not Your State Supreme Court Justice (And Family!)

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• by: Phoenix Rising

(Walker Stapleton, eat your heart out – promoted by Colorado Pols)

From the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette

State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin surrendered to authorities this afternoon to face nine criminal counts pertaining to her alleged use of state resources for campaign purposes. […] Justice Melvin was identified as a target of the grand jury in December. 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.

“It now appears that not only was Justice Orie Melvin directly and knowingly involved in using state paid staffers from both the judicial and legislative branches of the Pennsylvania government in her political campaign activities, but it also appears that she was aided in those endeavors by two accomplices, co-conspirator and siblings — Janine Mary Orie and [State Sen.] Jane Clare Orie,” according to the presentment.

Her sister, State Senator Jane Orie, was convicted in March on 14 counts for her own misuse of state resources (and apparently the cover-up that followed).