Residents of Luzerne County are rightly wondering how corruption could have become such a big part of their county court system, with investigations having snared three of their 10 judges.

Two former county judges, Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr., are accused of taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send juveniles to private detention facilities, including one in northern Butler County, and are awaiting trial on racketeering charges.

Now a third Luzerne judge, Michael Toole, has been charged with corruption on the bench. He allegedly concealed a financial relationship with a lawyer who appeared before him in court in an insurance case. And, he is accused of failing to report $30,000 in income on his 2006 tax return.

What is happening in Luzerne County should reinforce the disgust Pennsylvania residents feel regarding alleged wrongdoing in the General Assembly. Last month, 10 people connected with the House Republican Caucus, including former House speaker and current Rep. John Perzel of Philadelphia, were charged with spending millions of taxpayer dollars on computer technology to gain an upper hand in election campaigns. About 16 months ago, a state grand jury investigation resulted in charges against a dozen people tied to the House Democratic Caucus, including former Democratic Whip Michael Veon of Beaver County, also for misusing taxpayers' money for political purposes.

Obvious questions at this time are what has happened to the principle of honest, dedicated public service in this state, and should trust in one's elected officials really be regarded as a thing of the past?

A couple of bad apples aren't necessarily grounds for deep concern. However, the amount of purported wrongdoing that has been exposed over the past several years, including that of the powerful former state Sen. Vincent Fumo of Philadelpha, is ample cause for state residents to be uneasy about the trust they place in those whom they elect.

Fortunately, most public officials on all levels of government in this state are honest and are trying to do a good job. However, the alarming increase in the number of officials who apparently became consumed by power and began ascribing to the notion that they could do no wrong — and not get caught — is undermining public confidence.

In the end, that will be good for Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, the General Assembly is being distracted by the accusations that have been filed — and, possibly, by uneasiness of what else a grand jury might uncover. In Luzerne County, with 30 percent of its judges gone — Toole was removed from his post immediately after charges were filed against him — the remaining judges are being burdened by heavier caseloads.

Corruption and other forms of wrongdoing exact a heavy toll. The full, broad extent of that negative impact can't ever be known, but it's safe to say that it extends even to the people who initially put their trust in those now among the accused.

To be sure, some voters' dedication to going to the polls on Election Day might even be tested, stemming from the wrongdoing.

Beyond all of that, Pennsylvania is developing the reputation of being a corrupt state, and that kind of image must not be allowed to become entrenched.

Government is a venue for serving the public honestly and for the general good. It's not a structure built for enhancing individual power and self-interest and for becoming rich, especially by way of unethical or criminal actions.

Luzerne County residents are learning more about that almost daily as the troubling "adventures" of their three disgraced judges are subjected to ongoing scrutiny.

Meanwhile, they and other people across the state are longing for an end to the troubling news emerging from Harrisburg.

But none of the probes should end until investigators are sure that their investigations are indeed complete, no matter how long they continue. Pennsylvania must be cleaned up.