West Virginia's scandals are more interesting than Western Pennsylvania's.

A couple of weeks ago, we ran a front-page story with a photo that looked like it might have been lifted from "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous": West Virginia's top judge and the head of Massey Energy vacationing together in Monte Carlo.

That looked bad, with Massey CEO Don Blankenship wearing his Snidely Whiplash mustache over a sloppy grin, and his beaming sidekick, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Justice Elliott Maynard, voting with a 3-2 majority to overturn a $75 million judgment against a unit of Massey Energy.

Chief Justice Maynard withdrew from the case within days, but that still left Justice Brent Benjamin. He and Mr. Blankenship must share a friendly feeling, too, with the latter spending $3 million to defeat Justice Benjamin's opponent in the 2004 Supreme Court election.

The court decided unanimously last week to throw out the $75 million decision in favor of Massey Energy and rehear the case -- with a substitute for Chief Justice Maynard appointed by Justice Benjamin.

That still leaves the issue of the master's of business administration degree awarded to the West Virginia governor's daughter. She got her degree despite gaps in her records on class work. Until that investigation is complete, anyone making plans for a trip down I-79 should expect to hear:

"While you're in Morgantown, can you pick me up an MBA?"

Western Pennsylvanians are not used to taking a back seat on this stuff to anyone. It's true some of our stalwarts are targets in the investigation of whether state money was used illegally to reward Harrisburg staffers for political work. But that doesn't seem to have many people worked up.

As for the trial of former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht, its opening days had callers to talk shows asking, "Is that all there is?"

Edward Strimlan, the chief forensic investigator for the county medical examiner's office, testified Monday that he was sent on an endless string of demeaning errands dubbed "Wecht details.''

Mr. Strimlan said he had to drive Mrs. Wecht to a South Side playhouse, had to buy hot dogs from the Giant Eagle, and much more.

I was home sick with that cold that has been going around, so maybe what follows is just the Benadryl talking. But as I read the account of Mr. Strimlan's testimony, I imagined him singing it to the tune of "My Favorite Things.''

Sending me out to fetch mail and newspapers
Drives to the airport for vacation capers
Taking Wecht's wife o'er the Mon for a play
This is for me just a typical day

Shipping cadavers for Carlow dissections
Could be the reason for my insurrection
His ego's larger than Zsa Zsa Gabor's
These are a few of the coroner's chores

Weiners run out and Wecht gives me a jingle
Says I must make a quick run dahna Iggle
These are the details that lead me to say
This ain't no way for a man to earn pay

When this job bites
When the task stinks
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember I'll get Wecht one day
And then I don't feel so bad

OK, so nobody will confuse me with Oscar Hammerstein. Will a jury confuse any of this with a federal crime? The wiener issue is reminiscent of a routine by the Irish-Catholic comic George Carlin right after it became OK for Catholics to eat meat on Friday:

"I'll bet there are still some guys in hell doing time on the meat rap, right? ... How would you like to do eternity for a beef jerky?"

Mr. Carlin's theology may be shaky, but the underlying question hits pretty close to the mark: How would you like to spend your last years in prison for a hot dog run?

Thus far there is just one troubling issue. It involves whether Dr. Wecht sent cadavers to what is now Carlow University for student dissection without giving proper notice to family members of the deceased. Answering the cadavers-to-Carlow question may yet be worth Uncle Sam's time and money.

On the rest? Dr. Wecht's attorney argued that the county was billed a total of just $3.31 for the 24 faxes sent regarding his client's private business between 2002 and 2005. That wouldn't even buy a Fresca in Monte Carlo.