More than 6 in 10 Americans say they’d serve on a jury, most want to hear the evidence firsthand

More than 6 in 10 Americans say they'd serve on a jury, most want to hear the evidence firsthand

Ahead of National Civics Day on October 27, a new Ipsos survey for The Jury Experience finds adults under 55 are more than twice as likely as older Americans to want interactive ways to learn about jury service

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United States, Oct. 27, 2026 - Most Americans are willing to serve on a jury: 62% say they would be willing if summoned in the next year. What many are missing is a sense of what actually happens when they show up. According to the new to a survey commissioned by Fever for The Jury Experience with Ipsos, understanding what to expect and how jury service and the court system work is the most common factor that could make Americans feel more positive about jury service or more willing to serve.

For many, the question is far from hypothetical: nearly two-thirds have received a summons at some point. Asked what might change their view of jury service, respondents chose:

• Understanding what to expect and how the court system works: 42%
• Understanding the difference jurors make in real cases and communities: 35%
• More engaging ways to learn about jury service: 18%
• More realistic portrayals of jury service in the media: 14%

One in three Americans (33%) said none of these would make them feel more positive. In write-in answers, respondents also pointed to practical barriers, including compensation, travel and parking support, and accessibility.

A generational divide in what would help

Younger Americans are the most open to change. Nearly half of adults aged 18-44 (48%) say understanding the process would make them more positive about serving, compared with 43% of those aged 45-54 and 34% of those aged 55 and over. The same pattern holds for understanding the impact jurors can have (41%, 34% and 29%).

The gap widens on how people want to learn. Interest in interactive ways to learn holds steady among adults aged 18-44 (24%) and 45-54 (23%), then drops sharply to 9% among those 55 and over. Adults aged 18-44 are also nearly three times as likely as the oldest group to want more realistic media portrayals (20% vs. 7%).

Older Americans are harder to move: 43% of those aged 55 and over say none of the options would help, compared with 32% of 45-54-year-olds and 25% of 18-44-year-olds.

Making justice more engaging

The survey also shows what draws people in. Asked which part of jury service they would be most excited to experience firsthand, 61% chose hearing the evidence and arguments, and around a third chose discussing the case with fellow jurors (33%) or reaching a verdict as a group (33%). Among those willing to serve, 47% cite the chance of a new or interesting experience, rising to 54% of 18-44-year-olds.

Jury duty is one of the few civic responsibilities most of us will be asked to take on, yet many people have no idea what happens inside a courtroom. This data shows Americans are curious about the drama of a trial, especially hearing the evidence and reaching a verdict together. The Jury Experience puts audiences right at the heart of that, not as a lesson in legal procedure, but as a gripping night out that gets people talking long after the final vote Isabella Szpigiel, Head of The Jury Experience at Fever

Created by Fever, The Jury Experience taps into that curiosity with a 60-minute live theatrical show that turns the audience into the jury. Professional actors bring a dramatized trial to life, and the audience hears the evidence, weighs different perspectives and reaches a verdict together. The show is designed to entertain rather than explain real-world jury procedure, and because the room decides the verdict, no two performances are the same.

About the survey

The Jury Service National U.S. Consumer Survey was conducted by Ipsos on behalf of The Jury Experience between September 21 and 22 among a nationally representative sample of 1500 U.S. adults aged 18+.

About The Jury Experience

The Jury Experience, created by Fever, is a 60-minute interactive courtroom simulation where participants become jurors in a live trial. They will be presented with witness testimonies, forensic evidence, and cross-examinations performed by live actors.Participants are tasked with evaluating the credibility of the evidence and testimonies, deliberating on key case developments, and casting votes at critical junctures. These collective decisions directly influence the narrative's course, leading to a final verdict of guilt or innocence. Each session is unique, shaped by the jury's choices as they face complex moral dilemmas to deliver the ultimate verdict: freedom or guilt?