For the fourth consecutive year, NCSC contracted with GBA Strategies to conduct a comprehensive public opinion survey of 1,000 registered voters in order to gauge current levels of public trust and confidence in the state courts.
The survey was conducted by telephone between October 30-November 1, 2017. Survey findings are considered accurate within +/- 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.
Key findings of the 2017 survey include:
- After several years of survey work, we see consistency emerging on core questions of public trust and confidence.
- Judges are perceived as out of touch with community concerns, and the public seeks greater engagement from the courts.
- Access to justice in rural areas is a concern for many—especially those in the South and Southwest.
- The justice system is still seen as too complicated to allow for self-representation—but the public can identify specific customer service challenges and simple solutions to remedy this.
For more detail on the survey findings, read this six-page summary from GBA Strategies, or download the presentation slides. Interested in a presentation on these survey findings? Contact Jesse Rutledge.