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Convicted State Supreme Court Justice Melvin Likely to Lose Sizeable Pension

Suspended state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin stands to lose a sizeable state pension once she's sentenced on corruption charges in May.

Information obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press from the State Employees' Retirement System through a Right-to-Know request shows Melvin qualifies for a maximum annual pension of as much as $140,322.

The request also covered Melvin's sister, former state Sen. Jane Orie, who is serving a prison sentence in a related corruption case. Based on that information, the AP calculated Orie's maximum annual pension at $37,700.

The state pension law requires pension forfeitures by officials who commit certain crimes.

SERS spokeswoman Heather Tyler says no forfeiture action has been taken in either case, since they have not applied for benefits.

The women's lawyers could not immediately be reached.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.