Constitutional Law

Pa. high court OKs unsealing files in investigation of state senator

By By The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH ? The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says an Allegheny County judge should unseal documents in the grand jury probe of Republican state Sen. Jane Orie and her sister, Janine.

The high court said in its ruling Aug. 18 that Judge John Zottola should conduct whatever proceedings were necessary to determine which documents should be unsealed. The Ories are awaiting trial on charges they used the senator?s paid legislative staff to do campaign work for the senator and a third sister, Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin. Melvin did not participate in the high court?s ruling.

Zottola refused to let a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter see some documents in March, citing a Supreme Court order. The newspaper and WPXI-TV appealed, and the high court found Zottola erred by sealing all documents pursuant to that order.

Zottola was vacationing late last week and it was unclear when he?d address the ruling.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on August 21, 2010 (boomark / email).