Jury set for third day of deliberations for Melvin
Jury set for third day of deliberations for Melvin
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A western Pennsylvania jury is set to begin a third day of deliberations today in the campaign corruption trial of suspended state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin and her sister, Janine Orie.
The sisters are charged with misusing Melvin’s former Superior Court staff to help her campaign for the state’s highest court in 2003 and 2009. Janine Orie was an aide to the judge then and Allegheny County prosecutors say she helped organize that illegal campaign work — as well as other allegedly illegal work done by the state-funded staff of a third sister, then-state Sen. Jane Orie.
The sisters have denied wrongdoing.
The jury has deliberated a little more than eight hours over two days after hearing closing arguments on Friday. The jury spent the three-day holiday weekend at home.