Neuman Seeks Co-Sponsorship for Resolution to Immediately Impeach Convicted Supreme Court Judge

State Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane, on Tuesday emailed fellow legislators asking for co-sponors for a resolution that calls for the immediate impeachment of convicted state Supreme Court Judge Joan Orie Melvin.

The email read:

"On Feb. 21, 2013 Joan Orie Melvin was convicted of among other things, three counts of diversion of services and one count of conspiracy—diversion of services, all felonies of the third degree, all infamous crimes and all based on actions taken while holding public office. The Pennsylvania State Constitution forbids individuals convicted of infamous crimes from serving as a Justice on the state Supreme Court. In order to maintain the public’s faith in its judicial system, it is vital that we move resolutely and expeditiously in removing the ineligible Justice from our highest court.
 
The Constitution grants the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment. While in the past the House exercised this power through the creation of a process that includes petitions, preliminary committee investigations, full committee investigations and multiple committee reports and House Resolutions, in the case at hand that process would be duplicative and a waste of taxpayer resources and time because our task is not to reinvestigate the conduct that led to Joan Orie Melvin’s conviction, but it is simply to remove a sitting Justice who already has been convicted of an infamous crime. 
 
Joan Orie Melvin has been convicted of an infamous crime. The Constitution forbids individuals from sitting on the Supreme Court if they have been convicted of an infamous crime. As such, my resolution would impeach Joan Orie Melvin, Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, immediately so that a trial can be held in the Senate without delay.
 
The people of this Commonwealth deserve a Supreme Court that they can trust and that is at its full complement. Please join me in sponsoring this important legislation."

The email came a day after Represenatives Glen Grell and John Sabatina distributed a memo looking for support to have the House Judiciary Committee investigate the conduct of Justice Joan Orie Melvin.

She awaits sentencing May 7.

Neuman could not immediately be reached for further comment.