Former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin can't pick and choose parts of her sentence on public corruption charges, the state's highest court ruled unanimously Tuesday.
Justices put on hold their ex-colleague's sentence while her appeal plays out. Melvin's attorneys, Patrick Casey and Dan Brier, declined comment, but she had hoped the court would stay only the part requiring her to send handwritten apologies to other state judges.
An Allegheny County jury convicted Melvin, 58, of McCandless of using her Superior Court seat to campaign for the Supreme Court in 2003 and 2009.
Common Pleas Judge Lester G. Nauhaus sentenced her to serve three years of house arrest and two years of probation, to work at a soup kitchen three days a week, and to write letters of apology to every jurist in the state on a photograph of herself in handcuffs.
Melvin called the letter-writing an admission of guilt that violates her constitutional rights. In November, Superior Court ruled that she didn't have to write them on pictures of herself in handcuffs. It found the photo requirement served no purpose but to “shame and humiliate her.”
District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.'s office said that isn't fair, arguing that Nauhaus decided not to sentence Melvin to state prison in part because he believed the court-ordered apology — and other terms of the sentence — would sufficiently punish and rehabilitate Melvin, whom he chided for her “stunning arrogance.”
Zappala's office declined comment.
Zappala's office wanted Nauhaus to impose a prison sentence of 2½ to five years. Prosecutors have said they would seek a similar sentence if any part of Nauhaus' sentence is “disrupted” by the appeals court.
Melvin won a state Supreme Court seat in 2009 before she was charged with using her and her sister's state-funded staffs to run her campaigns. She lost the 2003 election for a seat on the high court.
Melvin is one of three sisters from a powerful North Hills family convicted of using political office for personal gain.
Former Republican Sen. Jane Orie, 53, of McCandless was released from prison in February after serving the minimum of her 2½- to 10-year sentence on charges of forgery, conflict of interest and theft of services.
Janine Orie, 60, of McCandless, a former Melvin staffer, was sentenced to a year of house arrest for her role in her sisters' schemes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Adam Brandolph is a Trib Total Media staff writer.
