Attending the rapid increase of AIDS in the U.S. population, related case law is expanding in the areas of employment, housing, insurance, and provision of various public services. The current legal system is overcrowded, understaffed, slow, impersonal, and expensive -- characteristics that make it inadequate to deal with AIDS cases that involve persons with terminal illnesses and a short time to live. Such cases demand speedy and sensitive resolution to ensure protection of the rights of AIDS patients in the course of their sickness. Legal systems must be streamlined to expedite case processing. Unfounded fears among criminal justice professionals have also obstructed fair and speedy case processing for AIDS patients. Accurate medical facts about AIDS and its transmission should be communicated to police officers, probation personnel, court officers, corrections officials, lawyers, and judges to ensure that these personnel handle AIDS cases responsibly and fairly.