Prosecutors: Former PA Supreme Court Justice Should Apologize-Or Go to Prison

When former Pennsylvania Justice Joan Orie Melvin was sentenced for politicial corruption, the judge fashioned an unusual sentence:

* three years of house arrest;

* orders to send a picture of herself with an apology written on it to every member of the Pennsylvania judiciary;

* orders to send letters of apology to every member of the staff of her sister, a former state senator also convicted of using taxpayer resources on political campaigns;

* orders to send apologies to every member of her staff ordered to conduct political work even though it is not allowed under the law for government employees to do so;

* orders to send an apology to every member of her family;

* orders to serve in a soup kitchen three times a week, pay a $55,000 fine, and to not use the honorific of justice for the three years she will be on house arrest and for the two years she will be on probation.

The former justice is appealing her sentence, but Allegheny County prosecutors are arguing she could face prison time for violating her probation sentence by not yet sending the letters of apology to the Pennsylvania judiciary, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.