Orie Trial to Move Forward

Jury selection is scheduled to proceed this morning in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in the corruption trial of Pennsylvania State Senator Jane Orie. The Republican lawmaker from McCandless Township and her sister Janine Orie are accused of using the senator's offices and staff to do campaign work for another sister, State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.

Melvin, a Superior Court Judge at the time, was elected to the Supreme Court in 2009. She has not been charged.

Monday Superior Court rejected a defense challenge to a ruling by Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Manning that allowed the case to continue. Also yesterday, the State Supreme Court turned down a request by the defense for a King's Bench review which would have bypassed the lower courts and had the Supreme Court examine the case.

Judge Manning earlier denied a defense request to bring in a jury from another county due to pre-trial publicity. Manning did say that no one from Orie's senatorial district could be chosen to sit on the jury.