Joan Orie Melvin
Encyclopedia
Joan Orie Melvin is a Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She was born in Pittsburgh to a prominent Western Pennsylvania
political family. Her sister, Jane Orie
, is a Republican state senator, who until April 2010 served as the Majority Whip
.
, where she received a B.A. in Economics in 1978, and Duquesne Law, where she was awarded a J.D. in 1981.
In 1990, Judge Melvin was appointed Judge to a vacancy on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and later was elected to a full term in 1991. There, she served in the civil, criminal, and family divisions. She was elected to the Pennsylvania Superior Court in 1997 and won retention in 2007. She lost a bid for Supreme Court to Max Baer
in 2003. She was elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2009.
The grand jury report describes in detail the testimony of numerous grand jury witnesses who admitted working significant hours on Justice Joan Orie Melvin's 2009 and 2003 judicial campaigns while they were on duty and being paid to work at the State Senate offices of Senator Jane Orie.
She has six children: Casey, Patricia, John and Janine (twins), Bridget, and Danielle. Casey graduated from Princeton University in 2010. Patricia and Janine currently attend Brown University and participate on the varsity softball team. John attends Dartmouth College.
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
political family. Her sister, Jane Orie
Jane Orie
Jane Clare Orie is an American politician who currently serves in the Pennsylvania State Senate. She represents the 40th senate district, including portions of Allegheny County and Butler County. She is a Republican...
, is a Republican state senator, who until April 2010 served as the Majority Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
.
Education
She attended the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where she received a B.A. in Economics in 1978, and Duquesne Law, where she was awarded a J.D. in 1981.
Legal Career
From 1981 to 1985, Judge Orie Melvin served as corporate counsel and was engaged in a private law practice, concentrating in civil litigation before she was appointed Magistrate for the City of Pittsburgh Municipal Courts in 1985. She was then named Chief Magistrate in 1987 for the City of Pittsburgh Municipal Courts. In this position, Judge Melvin established Pennsylvania’s first Domestic Violence Court.In 1990, Judge Melvin was appointed Judge to a vacancy on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and later was elected to a full term in 1991. There, she served in the civil, criminal, and family divisions. She was elected to the Pennsylvania Superior Court in 1997 and won retention in 2007. She lost a bid for Supreme Court to Max Baer
Max Baer (judge)
Max Baer is a justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.Born in Pittsburgh, he earned a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and a J.D. from Duquesne University in 1975. From 1975-1979, he served as Deputy Attorney General for Pennsylvania...
in 2003. She was elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2009.
Sisters arrested
On April 7, 2010, two of Justice Joan Orie Melvin's sisters, State Senator Jane Orie, 48, and Janine Orie, 55, were arrested and charged with theft of services and criminal conspiracy following a Pittsburgh grand jury investigation. The sisters are accused of using Senator Jane Orie's senate staff and senate office resources to help run the recent successful 2009 Pennsylvania Supreme Court judicial campaign of Justice Joan Orie Melvin. Senator Jane Orie has relinquished her duties as Republican Senate whip pending the charges being heard.The grand jury report describes in detail the testimony of numerous grand jury witnesses who admitted working significant hours on Justice Joan Orie Melvin's 2009 and 2003 judicial campaigns while they were on duty and being paid to work at the State Senate offices of Senator Jane Orie.
She has six children: Casey, Patricia, John and Janine (twins), Bridget, and Danielle. Casey graduated from Princeton University in 2010. Patricia and Janine currently attend Brown University and participate on the varsity softball team. John attends Dartmouth College.