Courts are the most visible part of our legal system. Though many legal issues and disputes are never brought to the courthouse, each year approximately seven million new cases are filed in New Jersey's courts. In those cases, judges are called upon to decide disputes involving such diverse topics as criminal law, motor vehicle violations, divorce, and other family matters, wills, contracts, defective products, and of course our basic rights as Americans, such as freedom of speech. People set the agenda for New Jersey Courts through these cases, and it is through these cases that courts influence our lives.
