The majority of Utahns seem to trust their courts, according to two surveys conducted this summer using different survey methods.

The "Public Trust and Confidence Survey" was conducted this summer by Valley Research using telephone interviews with 1,201 households. Individuals were asked 53 questions.

Another survey, titled the "Access and Fairness Survey," was conducted during one-day intervals at each courthouse this summer. It was administered by court interns who questioned people at a courthouse that particular day, except for people who were in the building seeking a different agency. Survey participants were questioned when they left the courthouse.

The Utah Judicial Council OK'd the two surveys to see what the public thinks of the court system and used various grant monies to pay for the work.

The overall results were positive — 77 percent of respondents said they viewed the courts favorably. The results showed most survey respondents held high opinions of the judiciary, thought the courts generally were accessible and found court employees to be polite.

A couple of red flags emerged, however. A number of respondents were not happy with how long it took to take care of business during their courthouse visits. And survey respondents also want more information about "the work of the courts" and what resources are available to people who represent themselves.

Having to pay for parking was another negative.

A number of survey participants who had considered and rejected taking a case to court said the cost of hiring a lawyer was the key reason for their decision.

The surveys also showed that the Internet and the court Web site are the largest sources of information about the judiciary — with 100 percent of those surveyed who had used the court's Web site stating that it was useful.

Many respondents who are involved with the courts said they got their information about the judiciary through the Internet along with newspapers and TV news. Those who said they were less familiar with the court system relied on television dramas such as "Law and Order," "CSI," "Judge Judy" and "Court TV."

One survey showed that people who had direct contact with the courts — especially those who had served on a jury — had far more faith in the judicial system than others. Another survey finding was that respondents did not think there were "barriers to justice" when it came to the hours the courts are open, their location, legal forms and such things as language differences and/or problems posed by a disability.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com