Former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin avoided prison time Tuesday for her campaign corruption conviction but was ordered to send written apologies to every judge in the state because she abused her office.
Melvin and her sister and former aide Janine Orie each received house arrest for illegally using the judge's state-funded staff as part of her two campaigns for a seat on the state's highest court.
Allegheny County Judge Lester Nauhaus chided Melvin for engaging in crimes of "arrogance" and ordered her to immediately have her picture taken by a county photographer, so she can write apologies on them and send them to several hundred state judges.
Although Nauhaus didn't imprison the women as prosecutors hoped, he admonished Melvin for claiming to be a role model for her children.
"What kind of role model are you? These are felonies, this isn't a parking ticket, and your children's mother is a convicted felon," Nauhaus told Melvin, 57, a married mother of six.
Melvin, a devout Catholic, was sentenced to three years of house arrest during which she may leave only for church — unless she receives specific permission from the judge for other activities — followed by two years' probation. She is also barred from referring to herself as a judge while under sentence.
Janine Orie, 58, was sentenced to one year of house arrest and two years of probation for helping coordinate the illegal campaigning.
It sounds like this Judge is incompetent to me. In this country if you are incompetent, you get put under professional guardianship. Once you are there, you can not leave your facility for any reason except to go to hospital or grave. You get to visit with you family for one hour a week at a certain time, and under watch by someone you are paying to watch your loved ones visit you. She can one phone call a week and it will be supervised. This Judge needs to be under the Guardianship Courts! she is incompetent!
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