In June 2020, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) released the latest version of the State of the State Courts Survey.  This survey revealed some interesting findings about appearing in courtrooms remotely during COVID-19:

• Two out of three people are receptive to appearing in courtrooms remotely—a significant increase from 2014, when only two out of five said they were receptive.
• Over half of all respondents cited at least one pandemic-related obstacle to reporting for in-person jury duty, such as serving as a primary caregiver to an elderly family member; an inability to secure childcare for an extended period; or living with someone who has an underlying health condition.
• At least 70 percent of respondents said they would be more comfortable in a courthouse if courts enforced social distancing, checked temperatures at the door, and required court employees and visitors to wear masks.
• Answering a question about whether respondents would be more comfortable serving on juries in person or remotely, 44 percent said remotely, 32 percent expressed no preference, and 23 percent said in person.

The survey includes additional resources:

• The pollster, GBAO Strategies, breaks down the survey into granular detail. Access the analysis here.
• Review the presentation slides, which dive into additional details including public trust in the courts and data collected on respondents’ access to technology tools.
• Watch the June 18, 2020 webinar featuring NCSC’s Jesse Rutledge, GBAO’s Karl Agne, David Slayton from the Texas Office of Court Administration and Nicole Zoe Garcia from the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County.