TV & VIDEO - March 9, 1987

Small-claims lawsuits have soared since “People’s Court� went on the air in 1981. The Wall St. Journal reports that small- claims suits filed in the nation’s courts have increased as much as 50%, with litigants becoming more vocal about their judgments--just like their TV courtroom counterparts. Says Judge Joseph Wapner, the feisty TV judge: “We’re trying to teach people that the courts are there to serve them.�