Judge denies Orie motions
An Allegheny County judge today denied several motions made this week by state Sen. Jane Orie.
Ms. Orie, R-McCandless, requested a continuance of her October trial date and asked that the court allow her to join the trials of the old case against her, as well as the charges brought last month alleging forgery and perjury.
Judge Jeffrey A. Manning denied both requests without explanation.
In addition, Ms. Orie asked that the court reconsider allowing jurors from her 40th senatorial district into the jury pool. That, too, was denied.
A request to have the jury panel sequestered, the court said, will be considered at jury selection.
Ms. Orie is scheduled for trial on the previous case, involving allegations of using her staff for political purposes, on Oct. 3. The first trial in that case ended in a mistrial in March after prosecutors alleged that the defense presented fraudulent documents to the court.