
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.

The plaintiff wants to know for sure that the defendant, who was raised by her aunt and uncle, is his biological daughter.

An ex-Playboy model says her former friend owes her for unpaid loans.

A woman sues her goddaughter, who she says skipped school, got pregnant and got in trouble for shoplifting, for the balance due on two loans.

The plaintiff sues her cousin, who revealed her secret to the entire family, for emotional distress — and the cost of a concert ticket.