Part II: Executive Summary of Methodology with Survey Instruments
Tr2ust a0nd C0onfi5dence
in the California Courts
A Survey of the Public and Attorneys
Commissioned by the Administrative Office of the Courts on behalf of the Judicial Council of California, September 2005.
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Executive Summary of Methodology 1
Public Trust and Confidence Instrument 5
Attorney Trust and Confidence Instrument 13
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Screener
Informed Consent
Attitudes Towards 6
Public Institutions
Subjective Knowledge
of Courts
Sources of Information
Court Experience 7
Barriers to Access 8
State Courts – 9
Expectations and
Performance
County Courts –
Expectations and
Performance
County Courts – 10
Expectations Only
County Courts –
Performance Only
Procedural Justice 11
Distributive Justice
Demographics
Introduction 13
Screener
Informed Consent
Attitudes Towards 14
Public Institutions
Subjective Knowledge
of Courts
Court Experience
State Courts – 15
Evaluation of
Performance
Superior Courts – 15
Evaluation of
Performance
Superior Courts –
Expectations
Procedural Justice 16
Distributive Justice
State Bar Services
Demographics 17
John Rogers, Ph. D. and Diane Godard, M. A., Authors
Public Research Institute
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, California 94132
This report, Part II: Executive Summary of Methodology
with Survey Instruments, produced by Dr. John Rogers
and Diane Godard, presents an overview of the survey
methodology, as well as the questions included in the
public and attorney surveys.
Part I: Findings and Recommendations, written by
Dr. David Rottman, outlines the main findings and offers
recommendations for policy and for further research.
Parts I and II can be downloaded at:
http:// www. courtinfo. ca. gov/ reference/ 4_ 37pubtrust. htm
This report was produced for the Judicial Council
of California, Administrative Office of the Courts.
For additional information, please contact:
Dianne Bolotte, Manager
Planning and Effective Programs Unit,
Executive Office Programs Division,
Administrative Office of the Courts
455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California 94102
Dianne. bolotte@ jud. ca. gov
415- 865- 7633
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of
David Rottman, Ph. D., Principal Research Consultant of the National
Center for State Courts, in the design, implementation, and reporting
of the surveys described in this report. All aspects of the project
were conducted in close collaboration with staff at the California
Administrative Office of the Courts under the leadership of
Dianne Bolotte, Manager of the Planning and Effective Programs
Unit. We are particularly grateful to Lucy Smallsreed, Grants Program
Administrator, for her management of the entire project; and to
David Smith, Ph. D., Senior Research Analyst, for contributing
substantially to the sample and questionnaire design, and for his
helpful insights and encouragement throughout the project.
Most of all, we thank the 2,414 California residents who made this
report possible by contributing their time and thoughtful opinions.
Special thanks are also due to the Foundation of the State Bar
of California for a $ 10,000 grant to the Judicial Council of
California in support of the attorney survey; and to the State
Bar of California for participating in the development of both
survey instruments, and for its overall support of the project.
Copyright © 2005 by Judicial Council of California/ Administrative Office of the
Courts. All rights reserved.
Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and as otherwise expressly
provided herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including the use of information storage
and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
Permission is hereby granted to nonprofit institutions to reproduce and distribute
this publication for educational purposes if the copies credit the copyright holder.
Acknowledgments
Executive Summary of Methodology
§ Determine California residents’ knowledge,
familiarity, attitudes, and specific experience
with the courts in their communities
and with the California state judicial
system overall;
§ Measure the public’s trust and confidence in
the courts in their community and in the
California state judicial system as a whole;
§ Determine if and why levels of public trust
and confidence may systematically vary by
experiences with the court system, demographic
variables, and other factors;
§ Measure practicing attorneys’ trust and con-fidence
in the California state judicial system,
and identify similarities and differences between
the views of attorneys and those of the public.
Sample Selection
The public survey was designed to acquire a representative sample of
the California household population, allowing for representation and
comparisons of major demographic groups within California. This goal
determined the sample size objectives: 1,200 interviews representative
of the general population, plus 400 additional interviews within
each major ethnic group ( Hispanic/ Latino, African- American, and
Asian- American residents of California), for a projected total of 2,400
completed interviews. The sample was purchased from a commercial
vendor of random- digit telephone numbers, and was designed for the
closest possible equivalence to the residential household population
of California.
Half of the initial sample was drawn from telephone numbers generated
to represent each California county in proportion to the state population.
Additional samples were drawn from areas with at least 30% density of
African- American or Asian- American residents. Projections from census
data suggested that sufficient interviews would be obtained from
Hispanic/ Latino respondents without any special sampling procedures,
so there was no additional sampling for this group.
The attorney survey was designed to acquire a representative sample
of California attorneys who are practicing members of the State
Bar of California. The State Bar of California provided PRI with a
random sample of 3500 practicing attorneys from its active mem-ber
list. This sample size was intended to produce approximately
500 completed interviews from e- mail and telephone contacts.
Overview
The 2005 public trust and confidence survey was designed to measure current perceptions of the
California court system held by the public and by practicing attorneys, in order to inform the Judicial
Council of California’s strategic policy planning process. The survey was commissioned by the Judicial
Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts ( AOC) and carried out by the Public Research
Institute at San Francisco State University ( PRI). A consultant from the National Center for State Courts
( NCSC) assisted with the development of survey content and utilized data analysis performed by PRI
to develop the findings and recommendations found in Part I of this report.
The primary objectives of the study were to:
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 1
To address these questions, PRI conducted a statewide telephone survey with a random sample of 2,414
California households and a companion Internet and telephone survey with a random sample of 527
practicing attorneys. The surveys took place between November 2004 and February 2005. The surveys were
designed and conducted to follow the “ best practices” set by leading opinion survey research practitioners
and professional associations.
Executive Summary of Methodology ( cont’d)
§ Knowledge of and familiarity with the courts;
§ Expectations of the courts’ roles and responsibilities;
§ Levels of trust and confidence in the courts, and rea-sons
for these levels;
§ Evaluation of existing and proposed California court
services and attributes;
§ Types of experience with the courts and impacts of this
experience on evaluations;
§ Other demographic factors and respondent attributes,
such as age, income, political orientation, country of
birth, and racial or ethnic identity.
The attorney survey content was designed to address the same
set of core issues using a reduced set of questions in order to
minimize the time required of respondents. In addition to items in
common with the public survey, the attorney survey assessed:
§ Frequency of conducting business with the courts;
§ Primary practice area and firm characteristics;
§ Use of Internet and other methods of business contact
with the courts and satisfaction with those contacts;
§ Rating of specific services of the State Bar of California.
Both surveys were developed through an extensive series of
drafts and revisions, and were programmed for administra-tion
with PRI’s Computer- Assisted Telephone Interviewing
system ( CATI). The attorney survey was also programmed to
be self- administered via the Internet.
The public survey was pretested with 49 interviews from
November 10 to 13, 2004, and final revisions were executed
upon review of pretest results. In order to minimize intru-sions
upon attorneys’ time during business hours, the
attorney survey was carefully reviewed but not pretested in
advance of the main survey administration. Both surveys
were reviewed and approved by the San Francisco State
University Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects
before any interviews were conducted.
Questionnaire Development and Pretest
The entire project team collaborated to design the survey ques-tionnaires.
The team included AOC and PRI staff members, the NCSC
consultant ( David Rottman), and a representative of the State Bar of
California ( Victor Rowley). The project time- table called for both
surveys to be completed no later than February 2005, with prelimi-nary
results available by March 2005.
The development team met regularly from early August through
November, 2004. Prior statewide and national surveys of public and
attorney trust and confidence in the judicial system were reviewed
in detail to inform the development process. The core topic areas
covered by the final public survey instrument include:
2 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Executive Summary of Methodology ( cont’d)
Margins of error indicate the statistically expected range of
variation for survey results. For example, with a margin of
error of ± 3%, if 43% of the population provides a particular
answer, we have 95% confidence that the “ true” population
percentage falls between 40% and 46%. Margins of error
can vary between specific questions and subgroups.
The average statewide margin of error for the public survey is
estimated at ± 3% with 95% confidence, after adjustment for
sampling and weight factors. The overall statewide margin of
error for the attorney survey is ± 4% with 95% confidence.
For both surveys, PRI research staff compiled, reviewed, and
documented the full range of collected data for submission to
AOC. After compiling the basic weighted frequency listings for
each item, PRI conducted a series of analyses for David Rottman,
the NCSC consultant producing the report of substantive
survey results. These analyses included the development of
measurements for key constructs ( for example, trust and
confidence), multivariate regression models for identifying
relationships across many factors at the same time, and
specialized analyses to account for the effects of statistical
weights on the precision of results.
Results and Analysis
Data collection for the public survey began November 23, 2004
and ended February 19, 2005. Active telephone numbers in the
sample were dialed up to 29 times to ensure adequate response
rates and to contact hard- to- reach respondents. Refusal
conversion specialists made up to two conversion attempts to
recruit reluctant respondents. Interviewers reported a high level
of engagement by respondents in the comparatively long tele-phone
interview ( the average interview time was 26 minutes).
The total number of completed interviews in the public survey
was 2,414. Interviewers completed 367 surveys with residents
who self- identified as African- American, 313 with Asian-
American residents, 553 with Hispanic/ Latino residents, 1,141
with Caucasian residents, and 16 with residents of other or
unknown ethnic identity ( subtotals include individuals
selecting multiple ethnicity categories). Bilingual interviewers
conducted 309 of these interviews in Spanish, 50 in Cantonese,
and 18 in Mandarin. PRI’s interviewer team achieved an
overall response rate of 30%. Supervisors monitored 10% of
completed interviews.
Data collection for the attorney survey began January 18, 2005
and ended February 14, 2005. Attorneys were first contacted
by U. S. mail with a letter from the president of the State Bar
of California, inviting them to take the survey online. PRI
conducted follow- up telephone calls to those who did not
respond to the initial mailed request. Most ( 465) California
attorneys self- administered the survey using the Internet.
PRI interviewers administered another 62 surveys over the
telephone, for a total of 527 completed interviews.
The average interview time for the attorney survey was 17
minutes, including both telephone and web- based responses.
PRI performed a series of statistical weight calculations to
adjust the final public sample to approximate the 2000 U. S.
Census on age, gender, and ethnicity and to adjust for other
selection factors, such as the greater selection probability of
respondents in certain areas. A complete description of
weighting and other statistical procedures used is available
in the main methodology report ( available from AOC).
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 3
Executive Summary of Methodology ( cont’d)
Diane Godard, M. A., Senior Research Associate,
administered the survey design, including
programming, sample and data management,
and report writing. Godard has more than
fifteen years of experience in survey research
design, implementation, project management,
data analysis, and reporting. In 2002, she
directed a study for the Administrative Office
of the Courts assessing the impacts of the
Early Mediation Pilot Program. Godard
received an M. A. degree in Social Psychology
from San Francisco State University in 2001.
Kevin Adcock, B. A., CATI Lab Manager,
conducted the recruitment, training, and
supervision of telephone interviewers.
Mr. Adcock has over nine years of successful
supervisory experience with more than 70
social research projects. Adcock received a
B. A. in Communications from California State
University, Hayward in 1979.
Organization and Project Staff
The Public Research Institute ( PRI) is a research
unit at San Francisco State University and has
operated there throughout its 20- year history.
PRI provides research services to government
agencies, non- profit organizations, and academic
researchers in the Bay Area and across California.
PRI staff members and faculty associates offer
expertise in the full range of social science
disciplines, including survey research, psychology,
sociology, public health, public administration,
community development, urban planning, and
statistics. PRI operates its own 25- station center
for telephone survey research with state- of-the-
art equipment and software for integrated
Internet and telephone- based data collection.
John Rogers, Ph. D., Associate Director,
directed the project and supervised all work.
Rogers has authored six peer- reviewed
publications on survey research methodologies
and other articles in the fields of public health
and social psychology. He has more than fifteen
years of experience with all aspects of large
survey projects from research design to
publication. Rogers received a Ph. D. degree
in Social Psychology from the University of
California, Berkeley in 1999.
4 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 5
Public Trust and Confidence Instrument
1) CONTINUE IN ENGLISH
[ SKIP TO S2]
2) CONTINUE IN SPANISH
[ SKIP TO S2]
3) CONTINUE IN CHINESE
[ SKIP TO S2]
4) ANSWERING MACHINE
5) SCHEDULE CALLBACK
6) NO ANSWER
7) BUSY
8) HANG- UP
9) INITIAL REFUSAL
10) HARD REFUSAL [ SKIP TO
REFUSE SCREEN]
11) DISCONNECTED PHONE
12) BUSINESS / FAX LINE
13) NEVER CALL LIST
14) LANGUAGE /
COMPREHENSION
PROBLEM
SCREENER
S2
Are you 18 or older? IF NEEDED:
May I speak to someone 18
years or older?
1) YES, ADULT AVAILABLE
2) NO, ADULT NOT
AVAILABLE – CALLBACK
3) REFUSED
S3
In order to select one member
of your household to participate,
could you please tell me how
many adults age 18 and older
live in this household?
1) 1 – ONE
[ SKIP TO S5]
2) 2 - TWO
3) 3 – THREE
4) 4 – FOUR
5) 5 – FIVE
6) 6 – SIX
7) 7 – SEVEN
8) 8 – EIGHT
9) 9 - NINE
10) 10 - TEN
11) 11 - ELEVEN
12) 12 - TWELVE
13) MORE THAN 12
14) DON'T KNOW -
CALLBACK
CHOOSE1
The computer has selected the
[ RANDOMLY SELECTED] house-hold
member to participate.
May I speak to that person?
1) YES – SAME PERSON
[ SKIP TO S5]
2) YES – NEW HOUSEHOLD
MEMBER
9) NO – REFUSED
[ SKIP TO REFUSE
SCREEN]
CHOOSE2
Unfortunately we are only able
to interview California residents
at this time. May I speak to the
[ RANDOMLY SELECTED] house-hold
member?
1) YES – AVAILABLE
2) NO ADULT RESIDENTS
[ SKIP TO END SCREEN]
9) REFUSED [ SKIP TO
REFUSE SCREEN]
S4
Hello, my name is [ INTERVIEWER]
and I’m calling from San Francisco
State University on behalf of the
California State Courts. We are
not selling anything or asking for
money. We’re conducting a short
survey funded by the State of
California on how people feel about
their courts. Your phone number
was randomly selected from
among all California households.
INFORMED
CONSENT
S5
The leaders of the California State
Courts would very much like to
know your thoughts about how
justice is served in California.
They will use this information to
improve court services for you and
other Californians. This survey is
completely voluntary and takes
most people about 15 minutes to
complete. There are no penalties
for not participating. You may
decline to answer any question,
and you may withdraw at
any time. While your answers,
combined with those of other
participants, will be used to
improve court services, there
are no direct benefits to you
personally. All of your answers
will be kept confidential. We do
not know your name, and your
responses cannot be linked to
your identity in any way. With
your permission, we will begin.
1) CONTINUE
2) SET CALLBACK
9) REFUSED [ SKIP TO
REFUSE SCREEN]
INTRODUCTION [ TIME1]
S1
Hello, my name is [ INTERVIEWER]
and I’m calling from San Francisco
State University on behalf of the
California State Courts. We’re
not selling anything or asking
for money. We’re conducting a
short survey funded by the State
of California on how people feel
about their courts. Your number
was randomly selected from
among all California households.
May I ask a few questions to see
if you are eligible to participate?
The phone numbers we call have
been selected at random to make
sure we reach an accurate sample
of the population. While participat-ing
will not benefit you directly,
it's important all Californians have
a chance to share their views on
the state courts. The leaders of the
Courts would very much like to
know your thoughts about how
justice is served in California.
They will use the information to
improve court services for you
and other Californians.
§ 2,414 telephone
interviews,
conducted between
November, 2004
and February, 2005
§ Additional sampling
of African- American
( 367), Hispanic/
Latino ( 553), and
Asian- American ( 312)
respondents, for
stable estimates of
these populations
§ Interviewing in
Spanish ( 309),
Cantonese ( 50),
and Mandarin ( 18)
languages
§ Extensive quality
control measures
( 10% of all interviews
monitored)
§ Statistical weights
calculated to adjust for
sampling probability
and nonresponse
Key facts
about the
public survey:
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
SUBJECTIVE
KNOWLEDGE
OF COURTS [ TIME3]
Q6
Now for the next questions, let’s
focus on just the California courts.
While the entire justice system
includes courts, judges, lawyers,
police, civil and criminal justice at
both the state and federal levels,
for these questions, I’d like you to
think about just the state courts.
By this I mean the judges, their
staff, and clerks who work in
California courthouses, but not the
police, prosecutors, or lawyers. OK?
Which of the following best
describes how familiar you are
with the California State court
system? [ READ LIST]
1) Intimately familiar:
know many details
about the court’s oper-ation
and organization
2) Broadly familiar: know
some details about the
court’s operation and
organization
3) Familiar: know about
the court’s operation
and organization in
general terms
4) Somewhat familiar:
know very little about
the court’s operation
and organization beyond
location, name, etc.
5) Not familiar at all
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
Q7
Have you ever needed to get
information about the courts in
your county? ( not including
information about the police,
prosecutors, or lawyers.)
1) YES
2) NO
[ SKIP TO Q13INTRO]
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
[ SKIP TO Q13INTRO]
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q13INTRO]
Q8
Where did you go for this
information? [ DO NOT READ.
ENTER ALL THAT APPLY.]
[ PROBE ONCE: Anywhere else?]
1) Civic or church group
or organization
2) Court web sites
3) Courthouse
4) An attorney
5) Family or friends
6) School
7) Library
8) Newspapers /
News magazines
9) Internet
[ NOT COURT WEBSITE]
ATTITUDES
TOWARDS PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS [ TIME2]
Q1INTRO
First, I’d like to know how much
confidence you feel you have in
different public institutions.
[ Q1 – Q5 RANDOMIZED]
Q1
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in the Public
Schools? Do you feel very
confident, somewhat confident,
not very confident, or not at all
confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q2
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in your local Police
Department or County Sheriff?
Do you feel very confident,
somewhat confident, not very
confident, or not at all confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q3
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in the US Supreme
Court? Do you feel very, somewhat,
not very, or not at all confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q4
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in the California
State court system? Do you feel
very, somewhat, not very, or not at
all confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q5
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in the courts in
your county? Do you feel very,
somewhat, not very, or not at all
confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
S6
( DO NOT ASK: CODE GENDER)
[ PROBE IF NEEDED: Are you male
or female?]
1) MALE
2) FEMALE
8) DON’T KNOW
S7
Would you prefer to be interviewed
in English, Spanish or Chinese?
1) ENGLISH
2) SPANISH
3) CANTONESE
4) MANDARIN
5) OTHER [ TERMINATE]
S8
Do you usually speak
[ ANSWER TO S7] at home?
1) YES [ SKIP TO S10]
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT
SURE [ SKIP TO S10]
9) REFUSED [ SKIP TO S10]
S9
What language do you usually
speak at home?
1) ENGLISH
2) SPANISH
3) CANTONESE
4) MANDARIN
5) OTHER ( SPECIFY) S9OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9) REFUSED
S10
And how many years have you
lived in California?
ENTER YEARS: _ _ _
0 LESS THAN 1 YEAR
777 DOES NOT LIVE IN
CALIF.
[ IF S3= 1, END;
IF S3> 1, SELECT
NEW HH MEMBER]
888 DON’T KNOW
999 REFUSED
S11
Now before we begin, I'd like to
tell you my supervisor may be
monitoring this call for quality
control purposes. OK?
1) CONTINUE WITH
MONITORING
2) CONTINUE WITHOUT
MONITORING
( INFORM SUPERVISOR)
6 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
1) YES, I have
2) YES, Someone in
household
[ SKIP TO Q28]
3) NO personal involvement
with courts
[ SKIP TO Q28]
8) DON’T KNOW
[ SKIP TO Q28]
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q28]
Q22
Please think about that case, or
if there was more than one,
think about the one that made
the strongest impression on you.
Did it involve… [ READ LIST.
SELECT ONE ONLY]
1) A parking or traffic
ticket ( or DUI)?
2) A transaction conducted
over the counter?
[ SKIP TO Q28]
3) A civil case like an
accident, injury, or
financial dispute?
4) A small claims case?
5) A family matter, such
as divorce, or a child
custody case?
6) A juvenile delinquency
case?
7) A mental health case
or a matter involving a
will, trust or inheritance?
8) A criminal matter
where an adult was
charged?
9) OTHER ( SPECIFY)
Q22OTH: _ _ _ _ _ _ _
88) DON’T KNOW
99) REFUSED
Q23
In this case were you…
[ READ LIST. SELECT ONLY ONE]
1) called for jury duty
but did not get select-ed
[ SKIP TO Q26]
2) selected to sit on the
jury ( or as alternate
juror) [ SKIP TO Q26]
3) the person filing the
lawsuit or action
4) the person being sued
5) a witness in the case
[ SKIP TO Q26]
6) the defendant
7) the victim in the case
8) OTHER ( SPECIFY)
Q23OTH: _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[ SKIP TO Q26]
88) DON’T KNOW
[ SKIP TO Q26]
99) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q26]
Q16
How often do you get information
about the state courts from the
Radio? ( Often, sometimes, hardly
ever, or never?)
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q17
How often do you get information
about the state courts from TV
news programs? ( Often, sometimes,
hardly ever, or never?)
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q18
How often do you get informa-tion
about the state courts from
Televised trials or court proceed-ings?
( Often, sometimes, hardly
ever, or never?)
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q19
How often do you get information
about the state courts from TV
dramas, sitcoms, movies or Reality
shows like Judge Judy? ( Often,
sometimes, hardly ever, or never?)
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q20
How often do you get information
about the state courts from the
courts themselves? ( Often,
sometimes, hardly ever, or never?)
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
COURT
EXPERIENCE [ TIME4]
Q21
Have you or anyone in your house-hold
ever had any direct experience,
contact, or involvement with a
court case which brought you into
a California courthouse, including
being called in for jury duty?
[ PROBE IF NEEDED: Was that you or
someone else in your household?]
10) Radio
11) Phone book
12) TV news
13) Other TV shows
14) Other ( SPECIFY)
Q8OTH: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
15) Did not look
[ SKIP TO Q13INTRO]
88) DON’T KNOW
[ SKIP TO Q13INTRO]
99) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q13INTRO]
Q9
[ ASK IF Q8 = 2] How useful was
the information provided by the
Court Website? Very useful,
somewhat useful, not very useful,
or not at all useful?
1) Very useful
2) Somewhat useful
3) Not very useful
4) Not at all useful
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q10
[ ASK IF Q8 = 3] How useful was
the information provided by the
Courthouse? Very useful, some-what
useful, not very useful, or
not at all useful?
1) Very useful
2) Somewhat useful
3) Not very useful
4) Not at all useful
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q11 DROPPED
Q12 DROPPED
Q13INTRO
Now besides looking for infor-mation
yourself, you may learn
about the courts in other ways.
Here are some places you might
hear or read about the courts.
Q13
How often do you get information
about the state courts from the
Internet? Often, sometimes, hardly
ever, or never?
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q14
How often do you get informa-tion
about the state courts from
Newspapers or news magazines?
( Often, sometimes, hardly ever,
or never?)
1) Often
2) Sometimes
3) Hardly ever
4) Never
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q15 DROPPED
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 7
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
8 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Q32
A. Would you say the availabil-ity
of another way to solve
your problem kept you from
going to court?
B. Would you say the availabil-ity
of another way to solve
your problem might keep
you from going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q33
A. Would you say the cost of
hiring an attorney kept you
from going to court?
B. Would you say the cost of
hiring an attorney might keep
you from going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q34
A. Would you say the court
fees required kept you from
going to court?
B. Would you say the court
fees required might keep
you from going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q35
A. Would you say the distance
you would have to travel kept
you from going to court?
B. Would you say the distance
you would have to travel might
keep you from going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT
SURE
9) REFUSED
Q36
A. Would you say the hours or
days the court is open ( closed?)
kept you from going to court?
B. Would you say the hours or
days the court is open
( closed?) might keep you
from going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q37
A. Would you say difficulty
speaking, reading or
understanding English kept
you from going to court?
B. Would you say difficulty
speaking, reading or under-standing
English might keep
you from going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
1) Very Satisfied
2) Somewhat Satisfied
3) Somewhat Dissatisfied
3) Very Dissatisfied
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q29B
[ ASK IF Q28= YES, PHONE]
In general, were you satisfied or
dissatisfied with your phone
contact? Would you say very
( satisfied/ dissatisfied) or somewhat
( satisfied/ dissatisfied)?
1) Very Satisfied
2) Somewhat Satisfied
3) Somewhat Dissatisfied
3) Very Dissatisfied
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q29C
[ ASK IF Q28= YES,
COUNTER or Q22 = 2]
In general, were you satisfied or
dissatisfied with your in person
contact? Would you say very
( satisfied/ dissatisfied) or some-what
( satisfied/ dissatisfied)?
1) Very Satisfied
2) Somewhat Satisfied
3) Somewhat Dissatisfied
3) Very Dissatisfied
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
BARRIERS
TO ACCESS [ TIME5]
Q30
Have you ever considered taking a
case to court but decided not to?
1) YES [ ASK A VERSION
FOLLOW UP]
2) NO [ ASK B VERSION
FOLLOW UP]
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT
SURE [ ASK B VERSION
FOLLOW UP]
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q42INTRO]
Q31INTRO
I’m going to read a list of reasons
that might make it hard for people
to go to court. For each one,
please tell me whether or not
you think it [ kept / might keep]
you from going to court.
Q31
A. Would you say a physical
problem that makes using
the courthouse difficult kept
you from going to court?
B. Would you say a physical
problem that makes using
the courthouse difficult
might keep you from going
to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q24
Did the case reach an outcome?
1) YES
2) NO [ SKIP TO Q26]
3) NOT YET / STILL PENDING
( WHAT ABOUT
ON APPEAL?)
[ SKIP TO Q26]
8) DON’T KNOW
[ SKIP TO Q26]
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q26]
Q25
Was the result of this case
favorable or unfavorable for your
side of the matter?
1) Favorable
2) Neither favorable nor
unfavorable
3) Unfavorable
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q26
Did this experience make you
more confident or less confident
in the courts or did it have
no effect? Much ( more/ less)
confident or somewhat
( more/ less) confident?
1) Much more confident
2) Somewhat more
confident
3) Had no effect
4) Somewhat less
confident
5) Much less confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q27
Did this court contact take place
within the last five years or was
it more than five years ago?
1) 0 - 5 years ago
2) More than 5 years ago
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q28
In the last three years, have you
done any business with the
courts in your county over the
Internet, over the phone, or in
person over the counter?
[ IF NEEDED: Which?]
[ ENTER ALL THAT APPLY]
1) NO INTERNET, PHONE,
OR COUNTER CONTACT
[ SKIP TO Q30]
2) YES, INTERNET
3) YES, PHONE
4) YES, COUNTER
[ IF Q22 = 2,
DO NOT READ]
8) DON’T KNOW
[ SKIP TO Q30]
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q30]
Q29A
[ ASK IF Q28= YES, INTERNET]
In general, were you satisfied or
dissatisfied with your Internet
contact? Would you say very
( satisfied/ dissatisfied) or somewhat
( satisfied/ dissatisfied)?
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 9
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q50
California courts report regularly
to the public on their job perform-ance.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q51
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for California courts
to spend resources to report reg-ularly
to the public on their job
performance? ( Very, somewhat,
not very, or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q52
California courts do enough to
make sure judges follow the rules.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q53
Now overall, what is your opinion
of the California court system?
Would you say it is excellent,
very good, good, fair, or poor?
1) Excellent
2) Very good
3) Good
4) Fair
5) Poor
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
COUNTY COURTS –
EXPECTATIONS AND
PERFORMANCE
Q54INTRO
Now I’d like to focus on just the
courts in your county.
[ Q54 – Q59 RANDOMIZED PAIRS
OF QUESTIONS]
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q43
( In order to do their job well)
how important is it for California
courts to spend resources to protect
the constitutional rights of
everyone? ( Is that very important,
somewhat important, not very
important, or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q44 DROPPED
Q45 DROPPED
Q46
California courts are ensuring
public safety. ( Do you agree
or disagree?) ( Strongly
[ agree/ disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q47
( In order to do their job well)
how important is it for California
courts to spend resources to ensure
public safety? ( Very, somewhat,
not very, or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q48
California courts do enough
to assist those who want to act
as their own attorney in court.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
Q48WHY: Can you tell
me more about that?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ *
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q49
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for California courts
to spend resources to assist those
who want to act as their own
attorney in court? ( Very, somewhat,
not very, or not at all important?)
Q38
A. Would you say the lack of child
care facilities at the court kept
you from going to court?
B. Would you say the lack of
child care facilities at the
court might keep you from
going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q39
A. Would you say the time it
took away from work or
home kept you from going
to court?
B. Would you say the time it
took away from work or
home might keep you from
going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q40
A. Would you say the length of
time it takes to get a decision
kept you from going to court?
B. Would you say the length of
time it takes to get a decision
might keep you from going
to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
Q41
A. Would you say uneasiness
about what might happen to
you kept you from going to
court?
B. Would you say uneasiness
about what might happen to
you might keep you from
going to court?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON’T KNOW/ NOT SURE
9) REFUSED
STATE COURTS -
EXPECTATIONS AND
PERFORMANCE [ TIME6]
Q42INTRO
Next I have a list of ways in
which California courts may
spend tax dollars to serve the
public. For each item, I’ll ask you
how well you feel the courts are
doing that job and then I’ll ask
how important you feel it is for
the courts to perform that job.
[ Q42 – Q51 RANDOMIZED PAIRS
OF QUESTIONS]
Q42
California courts are protecting the
constitutional rights of everyone.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
10 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Q67
The average citizen cannot
understand what takes place
in the courts. ( Do you agree or
disagree?) ( Strongly [ agree/
disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q68
Most local juries are representative
of the community. ( Do you
agree or disagree?) ( Strongly
[ agree/ disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q69
The local courts are in touch with
what is going on in the community.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
Q69WHY: Can you tell
me more about that?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _*
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q70 DROPPED
Q71
Many people in my community are
reluctant to go to court because
they're uneasy about what might
happen to them. ( Do you agree or
disagree?) ( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
Q71WHY: Can you tell
me more about that?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _*
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q60
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for local courts to
spend resources to offer other ways
to resolve disputes besides trials?
( Very, somewhat, not very, or not
at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q61 DROPPED
Q62
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for local courts to
spend resources to provide leader-ship
in dealing with community
problems like drug and alcohol
abuse? ( Very, somewhat, not
very, or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q63 DROPPED
Q64
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for local courts to
spend resources to make it easy to
do business with the courts over
the Internet? ( Very, somewhat, not
very, or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q65 DROPPED
COUNTY COURTS –
PERFORMANCE
ONLY
Q66INTRO
Please tell me whether you agree
or disagree with these statements.
[ Q66 – Q75 RANDOMIZED]
Q66
Decisions made by local judges are
influenced by political considerations.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
Q66WHY: Can you tell
me more about that?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _*
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q54
Local courts conclude cases in a
timely manner. ( Do you agree or
disagree?) ( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q55
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for local courts to
spend enough resources to
conclude cases in a timely manner?
( Very, somewhat, not very, or not
at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q56
Local courts are open at times
convenient for working people.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q57
( In order to do their job well) how
important is it for local courts to
spend resources to stay open at
times convenient for working
people? ( Very, somewhat, not
very, or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q58
Local courts have judges who
are honest and fair in their case
decisions. ( Do you agree or
disagree?) ( Strongly [ agree/
disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
] 1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q59 DROPPED
COUNTY COURTS –
EXPECTATIONS
ONLY
[ Q60 – Q65 RANDOMIZED]
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 11
Q81
( In your local courts would you
say...) Low- income people usually
receive better or worse results
than others? Much ( better/ worse)
or somewhat ( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q82
( In your local courts would you
say...) Non- English Speakers usually
receive better or worse results
than others? Much ( better/ worse)
or somewhat ( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q83 DROPPED
Q84 DROPPED
DEMOGRAPHICS
[ TIME8]
Q85
Thank you for answering these
questions. Your opinions and
experiences are an important part
of this research. I just have a few
more questions to make sure the
people we speak with are repre-sentative
of all residents in your
community. Remember we don't
know who you are and your
answers are completely confidential.
We want to be sure we collect
information from people of all
backgrounds. How would you
describe yourself? ( What is your
racial or ethnic identity?) Are you
Hispanic, White, African American,
or Asian or Pacific Islander?
[ ENTER ALL THAT APPLY]
1) Hispanic
2) White
3) African American
or Black
4) Asian or Pacific Islander
5) AMERICAN INDIAN OR
ALASKAN NATIVE
6) OTHER ( SPECIFY:)
Q85OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
DISTRIBUTIVE
JUSTICE [ TIME7]
Q77
In general, how often do you think
people receive fair results when
they deal with the courts in your
county? Would you say nearly
every time, more than half the
time, less than half the time,
once in a while, or never?
1) Nearly every time
2) More than half the time
3) Less than half the time
4) Once in a while
5) Never
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q78INTRO
Some people feel the courts
provide everyone with fair and
equal results, while others feel
the courts favor certain groups
over others in terms of the
outcomes they receive.
[ Q78 – Q84 RANDOMIZED]
Q78
( In your local courts would you
say...) African Americans usually
receive better or worse results
than others? Much ( better/ worse)
or somewhat ( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q79
( In your local courts would you
say...) Asian Americans usually
receive better or worse results
than others? Much ( better/ worse)
or somewhat ( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q80
( In your local courts would you
say...) Latinos or Hispanic
Americans usually receive better
or worse results than others?
Much ( better/ worse) or some-what
( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
PROCEDURAL
JUSTICE
Q72
( The courts in my county...) are
unbiased in their case decisions.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q73
( The courts in my county...) treat
people with dignity and respect.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q74
( The courts in my county...) listen
carefully to what people have to say.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q75
( The courts in my county...) take
the needs of people into account.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q76
Still thinking of just the courts in
your county, what is your opinion
of the overall job they are doing?
Would you say very good, good,
fair, poor, or very poor?
1) Very good
2) Good
3) Fair
4) Poor
5) Very Poor
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Public Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
12 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
1) 0 - 15,000
2) 15,000 - 30,000
3) 30,000 - 45,000
4) 45,000 - 60,000
5) 60,000 - 75,000
6) 75,000 - 90,000
7) 90,000 - 120,000
8) 120,000 - 150,000
9) 150,000 - 180,000
10) More than 180,000
11) DON'T KNOW
12) REFUSED
Q96
In general, when it comes to
politics, do you usually think of
yourself as conservative, moderate,
liberal or progressive?
1) Conservative
2) Moderate
3) Liberal
4) Progressive
5) OTHER ( SPECIFY:)
Q96OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q97
Do you consider yourself to
be a member of the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual or Transgender
community?
1) YES
2) NO
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q98
Not including cell phones or
numbers used just for computers
or fax machines, how many
DIFFERENT PHONE NUMBERS
come into your household?
( Please include any numbers you
use for receiving phone calls.)
1) 1 ( ONLY THIS ONE)
2) 2
3) 3
4) 4
5) 5
6) 6
7) 7
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
CLOSE [ TIME9]
Those are all the questions
I have for you today. Thank you
very much for your time and
participation. Have a good
day/ evening. [ HANG UP]
Q91
Do you live in the [ ZIPCODE]
zip code area?
1) YES
2) NO ( What is
your zip code?)
NEWZIP: _ _ _ _ _
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q92
How would you rate your ability
to understand English? Would
you say excellent, good, fair,
poor, or not at all?
1) Excellent
2) Good
3) Fair
4) Poor
5) Not at all
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q93
What is the highest level of
education you've completed?
1) LESS THAN HIGH
SCHOOL ( 0- 11 yrs)
2) HIGH SCHOOL
DIPLOMA / GED ( 12 yrs)
3) SOME COLLEGE / TECH
SCHOOL / A. A. DEGREE
( 13- 15 yrs)
4) COLLEGE GRADUATE
( BA / BS DEGREE)
5) SOME GRADUATE
SCHOOL
6) GRADUATE OR PRO-FESSIONAL
DEGREE
( MA, PH. D, ETC)
9) REFUSED
Q94
What is your current employment
status? Are you employed full
time, part time, self- employed,
unemployed, a homemaker, in
school, or retired?
1) Employed full time
2) Employed part time
3) Self- employed
4) Unemployed
5) A homemaker
6) In School
7) Retired
8) DISABLED / NOT IN
LABOR FORCE
9) OTHER ( SPECIFY:)
Q94OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10) REFUSED
Q95
What was your total combined
household income in 2003, before
taxes and including all sources?
Please stop me when I get to the
category. Was it between 0 and
15 thousand, 15 to 30 thousand,
30 to 45, 45 to 60, 60 to 75,
75 to 90, 90 to 120, 120 to 150,
150 to 180, or more than 180
thousand?
Q86
Are you currently married, living
with someone in a marriage- like
relationship but not legally married,
separated, divorced, widowed, or
single?
1) Married
2) Living together but
not legally married
3) Separated or Divorced
4) Widowed
5) Single
6) OTHER ( SPECIFY:)
Q86OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9) REFUSED
Q87
In what year were you born?
_ _ _ _ ( YYYY)
8888 DON'T KNOW
9999 REFUSED
Q88
Were you born in the
United States?
1) YES [ SKIP TO Q91]
2) NO
8) DON'T KNOW
[ SKIP TO Q90]
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO Q91]
Q89
In what country were you born?
1) ARGENTINA
2) CANADA
3) CHINA
4) COLOMBIA
5) CUBA
6) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
7) EL SALVADOR
8) GUATEMALA
9) INDIA
10) JAPAN
11) KOREA
12) MEXICO
13) PHILIPPINES
14) PUERTO RICO
15) RUSSIA
16) TAIWAN
17) VIETNAM
18) OTHER ( SPECIFY:)
Q89OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
19) DON'T KNOW
20) REFUSED
Q90
How many years have you lived
in the US on a permanent basis?
PROBE: Your best guess is ok.
ENTER YEARS: _ _ _
0 LESS THAN 1 YEAR
777 DOES NOT LIVE IN US
888 DON'T KNOW
999 REFUSED
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 13
INFORMED
CONSENT
S3 ( PHONE)
The leaders of the California State
Courts and the State Bar would
very much like to know your
thoughts about how justice is
served in California. They will use
this information to improve court
services for both attorneys and
members of the public. This survey
is completely voluntary and
takes most respondents about
10 minutes to complete. There are
no penalties for not participating.
You may decline to answer any
question, and you may withdraw
at any time. While your answers,
combined with those of other
participants, will be used to
improve court services, there are no
direct benefits to you personally.
All of your answers will be kept
strictly confidential. With your
permission, we will begin.
1) CONTINUE
2) SET CALLBACK
9) REFUSED
[ SKIP TO REFUSE
SCREEN]
S3 ( ONLINE)
The leaders of the California State
Courts and the State Bar would
very much like to know your
thoughts about how justice is
served in California. They will
use this information to improve
court services for both attorneys
and members of the public. This
survey is completely voluntary
and takes most respondents
about 10 minutes to complete.
There are no penalties for not
participating. You may decline
to answer any question, and
you may withdraw at any time.
While your answers, combined
with those of other participants,
will be used to improve court
services, there are no direct benefits
to you personally. All of your
answers will be kept strictly
confidential. Please select
" CONTINUE" to begin the survey.
1) CONTINUE
2) DO NOT CONTINUE
[ SKIP TO REFUSE
SCREEN]
S4 ( PHONE ONLY)
Now before we begin, I'd like to
tell you my supervisor may be
monitoring this call for quality
control purposes. OK?
1) CONTINUE WITH
MONITORING
2) CONTINUE WITHOUT
MONITORING
( INFORM SUPERVISOR)
SCREENER
1) CONTINUE
[ SKIP TO S2]
2) PREFER TO DO THE
SURVEY ONLINE
[ SKIP TO ONLINE]
3) ANSWERING MACHINE
4) SCHEDULE CALLBACK
5) NO ANSWER
6) BUSY
7) HANG- UP
8) INITIAL REFUSAL
9) HARD REFUSAL [ SKIP
TO REFUSE SCREEN]
10) DISCONNECTED PHONE
11) BUSINESS / FAX LINE
12) NEVER CALL LIST
13) LANGUAGE/ COMPRE-HENSION
PROBLEM
ONLINE ( PHONE ONLY)
For your convenience, we can send
you a direct link to the survey if
you provide your email address,
or if you prefer, you can access it
through the survey website.
Which do you prefer?
1) Send me the link
( GET EMAIL:)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
INTV-- VERIFY EMAIL
ADDRESS AND SAY:
You should receive a
link to the survey
within 24 hours. The
Judicial Council looks
forward to receiving
your response!
2) Access the website
The website is:
http:\\ pri. sfsu. edu
( NO www!)
The Judicial Council
looks forward to
receiving your response!
S2
May I confirm that you are
currently an active member of
the State Bar of California?
1) YES
2) NO [ END INTERVIEW]
INTRODUCTION
S1 ( PHONE ONLY)
Hello, my name is [ INTERVIEWER]
and I’m calling from San Francisco
State University on behalf of the
California State Courts and the
State Bar of California. We are
not selling anything or asking
for money. We’re conducting a
brief survey, funded by the State
Courts, to find out how attorneys
practicing in California feel about
the state courts. You were randomly
selected from among all practicing
attorneys in the State of California.
You were recently sent a letter
from the President of the State Bar
encouraging you to participate.
Is this a convenient time for you
to be interviewed, or would you
like to schedule a time for us to
call you back? The survey is also
available on the Internet, if you
would prefer to take it online.
Attorney Trust and Confidence Instrument
§ 527 total interviews,
conducted between
January, 2005 and
February, 2005
§ Conducted by
Internet ( 465) and
telephone ( 62)
§ Random sample
from the membership
database of the
State Bar of California
§ Active participation
and support from
the State Bar of
California
Key facts
about the
attorney survey:
Attorney Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
14 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Q7
About how many times a week,
month, or year do you do business
with the California trial or appel-late
courts over the telephone?
Please select one answer.
1) Per week ( Specify
number)
2) Per month ( Specify
number)
3) Per year ( Specify
number)
4) Almost never/ Never
8) DON’T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
9) REFUSED
Q8
In general, are you satisfied or
dissatisfied with the service you
receive from the courts over the
telephone? Would you say very
( satisfied/ dissatisfied) or somewhat
( satisfied/ dissatisfied)?
1) Very Satisfied
2) Somewhat Satisfied
3) Somewhat Dissatisfied
4) Very Dissatisfied
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q9
In your practice, about how
many times a week, month, or
year do you go to a California
courthouse in person?
1) Per week ( Specify
number)
2) Per month ( Specify
number)
3) Per year ( Specify num-ber)
4) Almost never/ Never
8) DON’T KNOW/ NO
ANSWER
9) REFUSED
Q10
In general, are you satisfied or
dissatisfied with the service you
receive in person? Would you
say very ( satisfied/ dissatisfied) or
somewhat ( satisfied/ dissatisfied)?
1) Very Satisfied
2) Somewhat Satisfied
3) Somewhat Dissatisfied
4) Very Dissatisfied
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
general terms
4) Somewhat familiar:
know very little about
the court’s operation and
organization beyond
location, name, etc.
5) Not at all familiar
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
COURT EXPERIENCE
Q4
About how many times a week,
month, or year do you do business
with the California trial or
appellate courts? Please select
one answer.
1) Per week ( Specify
number)
2) Per month ( Specify
number)
3) Per year ( Specify num-ber)
4) Almost never/ Never
8) DON’T KNOW/ NO
ANSWER
9) REFUSED
Q5
About how many times a week,
month, or year do you do business
with the California trial or
appellate courts over the Internet?
Please select one answer.
1) Per week ( Specify
number)
2) Per month ( Specify
number)
3) Per year ( Specify
number)
4) Almost never/ Never
8) DON’T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
9) REFUSED
Q6
In general, are you satisfied or
dissatisfied with the information or
service you receive from the courts
over the Internet? Would you
say very ( satisfied/ dissatisfied) or
somewhat ( satisfied/ dissatisfied)?
1) Very Satisfied
2) Somewhat Satisfied
3) Somewhat Dissatisfied
4) Very Dissatisfied
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
ATTITUDES
TOWARDS PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS
Q1INTRO
This survey is intended to reflect
your experience as an attorney
with the California State Courts.
We ask you to please base your
answers on your experience as an
attorney practicing in California,
not on any experience you have
had as a private individual or as an
attorney practicing in another state.
Q1
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in the California
state court system? Do you feel
very, somewhat, not very, or not
at all confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q2
In general, how would you rate
your confidence in the local courts
where you usually practice? Do
you feel very, somewhat, not
very, or not at all confident?
1) Very confident
2) Somewhat confident
3) Not very confident
4) Not at all confident
5) Not applicable
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
SUBJECTIVE
KNOWLEDGE
OF COURTS
Q3
Which of the following best
describes how familiar you are
with the California state court
system? Would you say that you
are intimately familiar, broadly
familiar, familiar, somewhat
familiar, or not at all familiar?
1) Intimately familiar:
know many details
about the court’s oper-ation
and organization
2) Broadly familiar: know
some details about the
court’s operation and
organization
3) Familiar: know about
the court’s operation
and organization in
Attorney Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 15
Q19INTRO ( ONLINE ONLY)
Now please focus on just the court
or courts where you practice. [ Q19
– Q21 RANDOMIZED QUESTIONS]
Q19
Courts where you practice conclude
cases in a timely manner. ( Do
you agree or disagree?) ( Strongly
[ agree/ disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q20
In the courts where you practice,
most local juries are representative
of the community. ( Do you
agree or disagree?) ( Strongly
[ agree/ disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q21
In the communities where you
practice, many people are reluctant
to go to court because they're
uneasy about what might happen
to them. ( Do you agree or dis-agree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
SUPERIOR COURTS
– EXPECTATIONS
Q22
In order to do their job well, how
important is it for local courts to
spend resources to offer other
ways to resolve disputes besides
trials? ( Very, somewhat, not very,
or not at all important?)
1) Very important
2) Somewhat important
3) Not very important
4) Not at all important
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
STATE COURTS
– EVALUATION OF
PERFORMANCE
Q16INTRO ( PHONE ONLY)
Next I have a list of ways in
which California courts serve the
public. For each item, I’ll ask you
how well you feel the courts are
doing that job.
Q16INTRO ( ONLINE ONLY)
The next questions ask you to
agree or disagree with statements
about ways in which California
courts serve the public. [ Q16 –
Q17 RANDOMIZED QUESTIONS]
Q16
California courts are protecting
the legal and constitutional
rights of everyone. ( Do you
agree or disagree?) ( Strongly
[ agree/ disagree] or somewhat
[ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q17
California courts do enough to
make sure judges follow the rules.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q18
Now overall, what is your opinion
of the California court system?
Would you say it is excellent,
very good, good, fair, or poor?
1) Excellent
2) Very good
3) Good
4) Fair
5) Poor
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
SUPERIOR COURTS
– EVALUATION OF
PERFORMANCE
Q19INTRO ( PHONE ONLY)
Now I’d like to focus on just the
court or courts where you practice.
Q11
In your practice, about how
many times a week, month, or
year do you prepare or respond
to documents submitted to a
trial or appellate court?
1) Per week ( Specify
number)
2) Per month ( Specify
number)
3) Per year ( Specify num-ber)
4) Almost never/ Never
8) DON’T KNOW/ NO
ANSWER
9) REFUSED
Q12
In general, would you prefer to
submit court filings, including
briefs and motions, in person, by
U. S. mail, or electronically via
the Internet?
1) In person
2) U. S. mail
3) Internet
4) Depends on the filing
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q13
In your practice, about how many
times a week, month, or year do
you personally represent clients
before a state judicial officer?
1) Per week ( Specify
number)
2) Per month ( Specify
number)
3) Per year ( Specify num-ber)
4) Almost never/ Never
8) DON’T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
9) REFUSED
Q14
In how many counties do you
usually practice?
1) One
2) Two
3) Three
4) Four or more
5) Statewide
6) Not applicable/ None
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q15
In your experience, how much does
the quality of court performance
vary between counties?
1) Varies substantially
2) Varies somewhat
3) Varies very little
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Attorney Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
16 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts
Q32
( In the courts where you practice,
would you say...) Latinos or
Hispanic Americans usually
receive better or worse results
than others? Much ( better/ worse)
or somewhat ( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q33
( In the courts where you practice,
would you say...) Low- income
people usually receive better or
worse results than others? Much
( better/ worse) or somewhat
( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q34
( In the courts where you practice,
would you say...) Non- English
Speakers usually receive better
or worse results than others?
Much ( better/ worse) or some-what
( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
STATE BAR
SERVICES
Q35INTRO ( PHONE ONLY)
Now I would like to ask you two
questions related to the State
Bar of California.
Q35INTRO ( ONLINE ONLY)
Now please answer two
questions related to the State
Bar of California.
Q35
How effective do you feel the State
Bar is in responding to consumer
complaints about attorneys?
1) Very effective
2) Somewhat effective
3) Somewhat ineffective
4) Very ineffective
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q28
Still thinking of just the courts
where you practice...), what is your
opinion of the overall job they are
doing? Would you say very good,
good, fair, poor, or very poor?
1) Very good
2) Good
3) Fair
4) Poor
5) Very Poor
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
DISTRIBUTIVE
JUSTICE
Q29
In general, how often do you
think people receive fair results
when they deal with the courts
where you practice? Would you
say nearly every time, more than
half the time, less than half the
time, once in a while, or never?
1) Nearly every time
2) More than half the time
3) Less than half the time
4) Once in a while
5) Never
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q30INTRO
Some people feel the courts
provide everyone with fair and
equal results, while others feel the
courts favor certain groups over
others in terms of the outcomes
they receive. [ Q30 – Q34
RANDOMIZED]
Q30
( In the courts where you practice,
would you say...) African
Americans usually receive better
or worse results than others?
Much ( better/ worse) or somewhat
( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q31
( In the courts where you practice,
would you say...) Asian Americans
usually receive better or worse
results than others? Much
( better/ worse) or somewhat
( better/ worse)?
1) Much better
2) Somewhat better
3) About the same
4) Somewhat worse
5) Much worse
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
PROCEDURAL
JUSTICE
[ Q23 – Q27 RANDOMIZED
QUESTIONS]
Q23
( The courts where I practice...)
are unbiased in their case decisions.
( Do you agree or disagree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree] or
somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q24
( The courts where I practice...)
treat litigants with dignity and
respect. ( Do you agree or dis-agree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q25
( The courts where I practice...)
treat attorneys with dignity and
respect. ( Do you agree or dis-agree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q26
( The courts where I practice...)
listen carefully to what people
have to say. ( Do you agree or dis-agree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q27
( The courts where I practice...)
take the needs of people into
account. ( Do you agree or dis-agree?)
( Strongly [ agree/ disagree]
or somewhat [ agree/ disagree]?)
1) Strongly agree
2) Somewhat agree
3) Somewhat disagree
4) Strongly disagree
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Attorney Trust and Confidence Survey ( cont’d)
Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 17
Q43 ( ONLINE)
Please select the range that
best describes the gross annual
income you receive from your
legal practice.
1) Under $ 50,000
2) $ 50,000 - $ 100,000
3) $ 100,000 - $ 150,000
4) $ 150,000 - $ 200,000
5) $ 200,000 - $ 300,000
6) Over $ 300,000
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q44 ( PHONE)
( DO NOT ASK: CODE GENDER)
[ PROBE IF NEEDED: Are you male
or female?]
Q44 ( ONLINE)
Are you…
1) MALE
2) FEMALE
9) DON’T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
CLOSE ( PHONE)
Those are all the questions I have
for you today. The Judicial Council
thanks you for your participation!
The survey results will be available
at the State Bar's annual confer-ence
in September. Have a good
day/ evening. [ HANG UP]
CLOSE ( ONLINE)
That concludes our survey.
Thank you very much for your
participation! The survey results
will be available at the State Bar's
annual conference in September.
For questions or comments about
this survey, please contact:
Dianne Bolotte
Manager
Planning & Effective Programs
Executive Office Programs
Judicial Council of California -
Administrative Office of the Courts
455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102- 3688
415- 865- 7633, Fax 415- 865- 4330
dianne. bolotte@ jud. ca. gov
Click " NEXT" or close your
browser to exit the survey.
Q39
Are you in private practice, an
in- house counsel, a district
attorney, public defender, judicial
officer, an attorney for a federal,
state or local agency, or do you
work in another capacity, or are
you retired?
1) Private Practice
2) In- House Counsel
3) District Attorney
4) Public Defender
5) Judicial Officer
[ SKIP TO Q41]
6) Federal Agency
7) State Agency
8) Local Agency
9) Retired
[ SKIP TO Q41]
10) Other
11) DON'T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
Q40
With how many other attorneys
do you practice?
1) None
2) 1- 2
3) 3- 5
4) 6- 10
5) 10- 15
6) 16- 25
7) Over 25
8) DON'T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
Q41
We want to be sure we collect
information from attorneys of
all backgrounds. How would you
describe yourself? ( What is your
racial or ethnic identity?) Are
you Hispanic, White, African
American, or Asian or Pacific
Islander? [ ENTER ALL THAT APPLY]
1) Hispanic
2) White
3) African American or
Black
4) Asian or Pacific
Islander
5) AMERICAN INDIAN
OR ALASKAN NATIVE
6) OTHER ( SPECIFY:)
Q41OTH:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8) DON'T KNOW
9) REFUSED
Q42
In what year were you born?
____ ( YYYY)
8888 DON'T KNOW
9999 REFUSED
Q43 ( PHONE)
Finally, I’m going to read you a
list of ranges. When I get to the
one that best describes the gross
annual income you receive from
your legal practice, please stop me.
Q36
How effective do you feel the
State Bar- approved CLE programs
are in enabling you to stay abreast
of the law?
1) Very effective
2) Somewhat effective
3) Somewhat ineffective
4) Very ineffective
8) DON’T KNOW
9) REFUSED
DEMOGRAPHICS
Q37INTRO ( PHONE ONLY)
Thank you for answering these
questions. Your opinions and
experiences are an important part
of this research. I just have a few
more questions to make sure
the attorneys we speak with are
representative of all active
members of the State Bar.
Remember that your answers
are strictly confidential.
Q37INTRO ( ONLINE ONLY)
Thank you for answering these
questions. Your opinions and
experiences are an important
part of this research. Now we
have a few more questions to
make sure the attorneys we hear
from are representative of all
active members of the State Bar.
Remember that your answers are
strictly confidential.
Q37
For how many years have you
been a member of the State Bar
of California?
1) Less than 1 year
2) 1 to 2 years
3) Over 2 to 3 years
4) Over 3 to 4 years
5) Over 4 to 5 years
6) Over 5 to 10 years
7) Over 10 to 15 years
8) Over 15 to 20 years
9) Over 20 years
10) DON'T KNOW/
NO ANSWER
Q38
Which division or divisions of
the court does your work prima-rily
involve? You may choose
more than one. [ READ LIST]
1) Appellate
2) Civil
3) Criminal
4) Family
5) Juvenile
6) Probate/ Mental Health
7) Traffic
8) Other
9) None/ Not Applicable
Part I: Findings and Recommendations
can be downloaded at: http:// www. courtinfo. ca. gov/ reference/ 4_ 37pubtrust. htm
Commissioned by the Administrative Office of the Courts on behalf of the Judicial Council of California, September 2005.
Part I: Findings and Recommendations
Tr2ust a0nd C0onfi5dence
in the California Courts
A Survey of the Public and Attorneys