ABSTRACT
This chapter offers local officials a look at some of the other professional activities of the attorney, which are not always observable. The court system in the United States was established to operate on an adversary basis, which means that parties with disagreements come together to advocate their respective positions to neutral finders of law and fact. Cases in the court system are also separated into two distinct categories based on another historical characteristic of some consequence. Many states also make provision for the local government to charge local ordinance violations, including traffic offenses, as “civil” wrongdoing, rather than “criminal” cases. An illustrative story of such “assistance” from a judge involves a case where the claim for money damages was expected to require a very lengthy trial, which the court was not looking forward to.
