When is Kenny’s turn?

The once blond hair has long since turned platinum, but is still stylishly coiffed. The woman's wrinkled visage has obviously aged but still looks considerably younger than her reported 80 years as she maneuvers her walker toward the front of the courtroom.

After all, hundreds of thousands of dollars in retained bribes, a free-upgrade mansion left in her possession to be re-sold into a rising housing market, and a "Get Out of Jail Free" card which meant the IRS never went after her for failing to pay taxes on all that illicit loot, can help a dame finance a fair amount of plastic surgery.

The year is 2040. The young federal judge peers at the tattered manila file before him, trying to figure out if it's really possible this case has been in the system for 37 years.

"Erin Kenny," he begins. "You've been a bitter disappointment to those who elected you, and a disgrace to the public office which was placed in your trust. Can anyone here present give me a good reason today why I should not now sentence --"

"Your honor," interrupts the new deputy U.S. attorney, leaping to her feet. "We request a further delay of sentencing based on the fact former Commissioner Kenny is still aiding us with her testimony."

"But it says here everyone against whom she testified reported to prison to serve their time, long ago," the judge objects.

"Not quite, your honor," the federal prosecutor insists. "We're still considering charges against one more local taco stand. Also, Ms. Kenny has been of considerable use to us in our ongoing probe of bid-rigging at the federal rest home where she now lives. And then there are the compassionate considerations: Two of her grandchildren are due to graduate from college this spring, and we'd hate for Ms. Kenny to have to miss the ceremonies."

The judge sighs. "How much longer do you need?"

No, it's not 2040, yet. But this scenario grows increasingly less preposterous, as last week Lance Malone -- former cop, former county commissioner turned strip club bag man -- became the most recent corrupt Clark County official to begin serving the prison time earned for his role in the 2003 "G-sting" scandal.

Whether Kenny's testimony was really vital to put away Malone, along with her fellow former Commissioners Dario Herrera and Mary Kincaid-Chauncey -- whether it was really necessary to give the greediest of the bunch as sweet a deal as she seems to have gotten -- may be debatable.

But why does Erin Kenny still walk free? Surely federal prosecutors intend to see she suffers some punishment before her appointment with the reaper ... don't they?