Court system on the brink

From the outside, the local courthouse may bring to mind images of "Law and Order" and "Perry Mason" - television dramas in which the participants generally behave with at least a modicum of decorum. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

But in real life, all hell is breaking loose in Los Angeles County's courtrooms.

Amid the flagging economy, judges have noticed a rise in shouting, brawls and other courtroom disturbances, according to the Superior Court's 2010 annual report.