AN OVERVIEW OF THE COSTS OF THE STATE COURT SYSTEM IS PRESENTED, THEN THE VARIOUS COURTS ARE EXAMINED. THE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT ARE NOTED, AND THE 1977 DOCKET IS REVIEWED. RELATIVE ASPECTS OF THE COURT'S FUNCTIONING ARE DETAILED, INCLUDING CASES FILED AND TERMINATED, THE RATIO BETWEEN CASES TRIED IN CIRCUIT COURTS AND CASES APPEALED TO THE SUPREME COURT AND THE COURT OF APPEALS, THE DISPOSITION OF CASES DECIDED BY WRITTEN OPINION, AND AN ANALYSIS OF PETITIONS FOR REVIEW AS A PERCENTAGE OF CASES CLOSED BY OPINION IN THE COURT OF APPEALS. AN OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE COURT OF APPEALS IS PRESENTED. THE JUDGES AND 1977 DOCKET OF THE COURT ARE NOTED, ALONG WITH INFORMATION REGARDING APPEALS FILED AND TERMINATED, THE METHODS BY WHICH APPEALS WERE TERMINATED, AND THE AVERAGE TIME ELAPSED FROM THE FILING OF NOTICE OF APPEAL UNTIL THE TIME OF DISPOSITION. AN EXAMINATION IS ALSO INCLUDED OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE TAX COURT; THE OPERATION OF THE REGULAR AND SMALL CLAIMS DIVISIONS OF THE TAX COURT IS SUMMARIZED. REGARDING CIRCUIT COURTS, A MAP OF THE JUDICIAL DISTRICTS, A GRAPH OF STATEWIDE TRENDS, STATISTICS ON THE AGES OF CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS, AND A COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE TOTAL CASES FILED PER YEAR FROM 1968 TO 1977 ARE PRESENTED, AMONG OTHER DATA. THE JUDGES OF THE DISTRICT COURTS ARE NOTED, AND INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES FILED AND TERMINATED PER JUDGE IS PRESENTED. A MAP OF THE COURT DISTRICTS IS PROVIDED, AS ARE STATISTICS REGARDING THE FOLLOWING: THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES FILED PER YEAR, 1971-1977; THE PERCENTAGE OF ALL TRAFFIC, MISDEMEANOR, AND FELONY CASES PENDING FOR MORE THAN 1 YEAR; THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES PENDING DURING 1977; AND THE PERCENTAGE OF ALL CIVIL CASES PENDING FOR MORE THAN 1 YEAR. MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES AND CASES FILED, TERMINATED, AND PENDING DURING 1977 ARE NOTED. INFORMATION ON THE JUSTICE COURTS IS PROVIDED, INCLUDING THE NAMES OF THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AND DATA CONCERNING CASES FILED, TERMINATED, AND PENDING DURING 1977. (KBL)