Exhibit 5.1

                                 CTS CORPORATION
                            905 West Boulevard North
                             Elkhart, Indiana 46514

                                  March 1, 2002


CTS CORPORATION
905 West Boulevard North
Elkhart, Indiana  46514



         Re:  Sale of 1,000,000 Shares of Common Stock, without par value



Ladies and Gentlemen:

         I am Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of CTS Corporation,
an Indiana corporation (the "Company"), and have acted as counsel to the Company
in connection with the issuance and sale of 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock,
without par value, of the Company (the "Shares") to an institutional investor.

         In rendering this opinion, I have examined such documents and records,
including an examination of originals or copies certified or otherwise
identified to my satisfaction, and matters of law as I have deemed necessary for
purposes of this opinion. Based upon the foregoing and subject to the
qualifications and limitation stated herein, I am of the opinion that the Shares
are duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment of the
consideration therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

         In rendering the foregoing opinion, I have relied as to certain factual
matters upon certificates of officers of the Company, and I have not
independently checked or verified the accuracy of the statements contained
therein. In rendering the foregoing opinion, my examination of matters of law
has been limited to the laws of the State of Indiana, including the applicable
provisions of the Indiana Constitution, as in effect on the date hereof.

         I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Current Report on Form 8-K in order to supplement the Registration Statement No.
333-90697 on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") filed by the Company to
effect registration of the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act")
and to the reference to me under the caption "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus
constituting a part of such Registration Statement. In giving such consent, I do
not thereby admit that I am included in the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.

                                Very truly yours,

                              /s/ Richard G. Cutter