We all have drives. Things that get us fired up, make us passionate, inspire us to actually do something. These inspirations may come from a childhood memory, an experience later in life – or at an "aha" moment.

In the past fifteen years, the number of cases handled by the Gwinnett County court system have increased by more than 33 percent. In 2008, the court system handled more than 138,000 cases and processed more than 211,000 real estate filings. The nature of the cases have changed substantially over the last decade, reflecting Gwinnett's metamorphosis from a rural area to a bustling metropolitan outpost. The increased caseload illustrates growth and real estate development, while also accounting for the increase in criminal felonies characteristic of a metropolitan area. With twenty-six full time judges and between 10-15 jury trials set to begin on any given Monday morning, it takes a team of dedicated people to keep Gwinnett's court system running smoothly. On the pages that follow, we'll give you an inside look on how order in the court is actually achieved.

We all have heroes in our lives. Those who inspire us, those who we admire, those that make us want to try harder, accomplish more and whine less. Heroes come in all ages and sizes, from circumstances both ordinary and extraordinary.

All rise! When it comes to our court system, Gwinnett judges deserve more than a standing ovation. We found a group of jurists dedicated to helping citizens and achieving judicial justice throughout the community.

A child goes missing in the United States every 40 seconds, that's more than 2,100 children per day. "As a parent of three young daughters those statistics terrify me," says Gary Martin Hays, a local attorney in Gwinnett whose firm focuses on claims involving motor vehicle accidents, dangerous products, injuries and wrongful deaths, workers' compensation and nursing home abuse cases.