Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Jury Selection Moving Quickly in Judge Orie Case

Seven jurors have been selected for the corruption trial for suspended Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin and her sister, Janine.

They are charged with illegally using Melvin's former Superior Court staff to run her political campaigns. Both deny wrongdoing.

Allegheny County prosecutors say Melvin used her taxpayer-funded staff to campaign for the state's highest court in 2003 and 2009.

Twenty potential jurors were interviewed Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Lawyers hope to pick 12 regular jurors and four alternates.

The women are also charged with conspiring with a third sister — former Republican state Sen. Jane Orie — to illegally use Orie's state-funded staff to work on Melvin's campaigns.

Orie is incarcerated for misusing her staff on her own campaigns. She was acquitted of using staff to help Melvin campaign.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.