Over the weekend, state supreme court candidate Joan Orie Melvin received an endorsement from the millionaires' club sometimes called the Republican State Committee. Republicans claim their party is like a big umbrella with room for everybody, but party boss Rob Gleason warned committee members against rebelling. How did Orie Melvin get the party nod? As you've probably guessed, Melvin is politically connected. Her sister, Jane Orie, just happens to be a state senator and a member of the judiciary committee. According to Ron Angle, himself a Republican state committeeman, state senator Joe Scarnetti guaranteed the big boys he would personally raise $1.7 million for Melvin. As the Northampton County Bulldog puts it, "If anything rings a bell with those Republicans, it's money."
Melvin first ran for Superior Court in 1997, and pretty much ignored her responsibilities as a common pleas judge. An investigative report by a team of eleven reporters at the Post-Gazette, cast a very public spotlight on a very unresponsive Melvin, a person who obviously considered her personal ambition more important than her work as a judge. Melvin thumbed her nose at a six-week trial term because a pesky little jury trial might interfere with her quest to become an appellate judge. Her courtroom was "virtually shut down . . . for several weeks" while she "spent numerous weekdays out of town campaigning."
She has already run and lost a bid for the supremes, back in 2003. Melvin and Democrat Max Baer engaged in a money war, spending an obscene $3.34 million. This exceeds the total amount spent in all judicial races during the previous two years. Forty-three per cent of this money came from lawyers, a drastic increase from the ten percent total in the 2001 race.
Outside the courtroom, Melvin spent five years of quixotic litigation in two separate states over anonymous comments posted on a Pittsburgh-based political gossip site. A group of John Does had criticized her "misconduct" in asking then Governor Ridge to appoint someone she knew to a judgeship. I'm not sure how that even constitutes defamation, but I guess it must be per se defamation to criticize a superior court judge. She eventually abandoned her litigation.
Amazingly, this is the Republican pick for the state high court.
Angle likes Superior Court Judge Cheryl Allen (no relation to William Allen) and even seconded her nomination. Allen was ignored by her party when she first ran for the Superior Court, but won anyway. "She's real, unlike the fakes, frauds and phonies" is how Angle explains his support.
I know one person who must be cheered by the news of Melvin's GOP endorsement. His name is Jack Panella.
I attended the "Reagan Caucus" held the same time as the State Committee meeting. Yes, the $1,000 suits were impressive down the hall.
ReplyDeleteBut something is happening in the GOP.
The power at all costs, no principles, win elections no matter what, raise a lot of money philosophy is not working. There is a rebel movement in the GOP.
Principles will prevail. They always do - eventually.
Angle is hardly the Northampton County Bulldog. When confronted one on one with no press he is more like the County Coward.
ReplyDeleteI recommend he be known as the Northampton County Assclown, now that fits.
I think Judge Panella has his hands full with Judge Scramina from Philly in the primary. I hear Rendell is supporting and encouraging her behind the scenses and that her husband has committed to putting $500,000 of their own money into the primary campaign.
ReplyDeleteSo Angle Pontificates from his one visit to State Committee in the past two years!We are not impressed He runs for the post and never actually attends the meetings or casucuses to find out what is going on. He attendedfor the first time in over a year and without going to the meeting to hear from the judges a few weeks earlier he goes with his gut and calls everyone who did their homework idiot millionaires, Well he too is a millionaire and for sure if he looked int he mirror he would see an idiot looking back.
ReplyDeleteHe is a smart man with good ideas, but his judgement is sometimes clouded by ego.
Why did Orie Melvin get the nod? SHe has years of experience and she comes with a Highly Recommended rating just like her opposition. The rest had lower ratings, although they are all good people with fine records.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, Judge Orie-Melvin's overwhelming defect is her lack of independence from the legislature. Her sister Sen. Jane Orie is part of Senate Republican leadership and Senate President Pro Tem Joseph Scarnati has pledged to raise over a million dollars for her. Senator Scarnati is not only President Pro Tem of Senate, he is also Lt.Governor demonstrating a lack of commitment to separation of powers and balance of powers concept. More importantly, the Penna. Supreme Court has eviscerated Article III in Pay Raise AND the Slots cases and is less than sensitive to the plain language of Article 8, section 8 with regard to subsidies, loan guarantees, and special tax breaks for private corporations. Independence from the Legislature is key and core requirement of independent Judiciary and I am afraid Judge Orie-Melvin fails that judgment.
ReplyDeleteBernie, thanks for posting. I had forgotten the silly defamation lawsuit. Suppose you sued all your defamers. Lawsuits forever.
ReplyDeleteAnd I had forgotten how much she spent in the last election.
I did not know that Judge Orie=Melvin had shut her courtroom down. It seems that is likely to happen again. Not doing the job she was elected to do on Superior Court; hear and decide cases important to the litigants if no one else.
My choice for Republican nominee is Superior Court Jackie Shogan. Her backround and experience qualify her. Equally important, she is independent of Legislature.
ReplyDeleteJudge Allen is charismatic, no doubt, and a political phenomenon.
Judge Panepinto....no. check the news articles about his campaign contributions from Texas Trial Lawyers who had a case before him. How many Penna. judges get $100k from Texas. How many get a $1? very suspicious
Bob, I thank you for your well-placed comments concerning the importance of an independent judiciary. I agree that Melvin would destroy that.
ReplyDeleteNot so casual,
ReplyDeleteMelvin is actually the worst of the four candidates in front of the Rs, and will be easiest one to beat. I was against her retention on the Syperior Court. She is think-skinned whose poor judicial temperment is manifested by the fact she embroiled herself in libel litigation that went on for 5 years. She was tagged for ignoring her courtroom when she ran for superior court.
Last time you folks let party bosses make the choice, they chose Lynn Swann over Scranton. Ltynn Swann, because he was never vetted, was chewed up and spit out. Now party bosses pick someone they can control thru her sister.
As you know, I am highly critical of my own pary. But I think Angle's criticism of the millionaires' club is equally valid.
I don't like Melvin or Obama or any other politician who gets into one office only to use it as a platform to attain another. Hell, Obama ghost-wrote two memoirs for $4M while failing to author a single sentence of legislation in three years in the Senate. Melvin is no better.
ReplyDeleteThis R likes Panella. Lots of Rs do. Many Ds know this and dislike Jack because of it. He's also not Ed's boy in this contest. And what Eddie wants, his sheep always happily deliver. Sorry Jack.
Panella has always been whatever he has to be to get the votes he needs.
ReplyDeleteactually, u should check judge panepinto's credentials and his long list of accomplishments. i.e: project START, YVRP program, and Rhode Island's truancy/juvenile court programs modeled after Judge Panepinto's concepts used at family court from his time as Administrative judge 1996-2001. check those credentials. Judge Panepinto is the best candidate for supreme court 2009.
ReplyDelete