New Pennsylvania law creates panel to probe judicial corruption

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Saying he hoped it would begin the process of curing a "perversion of justice," Gov. Rendell signed into law yesterday a bill creating a special commission to investigate the juvenile court corruption scandal in Luzerne County.

"All parties in every branch of government have come together with the shared goals of finding answers, restoring confidence in our juvenile justice system, and making sure this never happens again," Rendell said.

The legislation forms the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice - an 11-member panel with subpoena power to review how former Luzerne County Court Judges Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. and Michael T. Conahan operated a kickback scheme involving thousands of children.

The former judges are accused of collecting $2.6 million over seven years by forcing juvenile defendants, many facing only minor offenses, into two privately run, for-profit detention centers - one in Luzerne County and the other in Butler County.

Please read the whole article. What is it about Pennsylvania's political system that would allow this??