Judge Greg Mathis is unlike most adjudicators you'd see in a courtroom. The former Detroit-area district court judge infuses his court sessions with a generous dose of humor as he listens to diverse litigants plead their small-claims cases in his TV courtroom. A regular segment, Ask Judge Mathis, features the judge answering viewer questions to advise people with legal situations that they face. Prior to entering the legal world, Mathis was involved with gangs and spent time in jail as a young man before turning his life around.

• Judge Greg Mathis