Judge Lillian Sing applauds a defendant on the bench of the Community Court Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, in San Francisco. While it's been difficult for researchers to determine cost savings by the courts, new studies suggest the courts are helping stem crime. An evaluation of Washington, D.C.'s community court by the Westat research firm found this summer that defendants who successfully completed diversion programs from 2007 to 2009 were half as likely to reoffend as similar defendants in a traditional court. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)