Orie faces new forgery charges

The Allegheny County District Attorney's office has filed new charges including forgery and tampering with evidence against state Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless. A trial in which the powerful senator faced corruption charges ended in a mistrial in March when, as the jury was already deliberating, the prosecution presented evidence that they said showed that a variety of defense exhibits had been altered. 

The defense denied the claim but Judge Jeffrey Manning, commenting that "Ray Charles could see,'' that the defense documents had been altered, declared the mistrail.

Sen. Orie and a sister, Janine Orie, had been charged with a variety of counts charging that the senator's staff had been used for political chores for the senator and for the  state Supreme Court candidacy of another sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.