Jury

The Jury consists of a group of eliminated castaways (typically past the merge portion of the competition) that return to witness the remaining Survivors' actions at Tribal Council. The information they take in from these visits is supposed to help them decide who to vote for to win the $1,000,000 prize and the title of Sole Survivor. They are usually forbidden to speak, with the exception of the Final Tribal Council, where they are allowed to address the finalists and ask them questions.

The Jury is comprised of either 7, 8, or 9 members.

Post-elimination
When Survivor jury members get voted out, they are whisked away to a camp called Ponderosa (not to be confused with the base camp where the production crew stays). The CBS website allows fans to see what happens behind the scenes as Jury members enter the camp and re-assimilate to life in the outside world. Jury members stay at Ponderosa until the day after Day 39 and are transported to every Tribal Council to get a glimpse at what is happening with the remaining castaways who are still in the running. While at Ponderosa, cast-offs enjoy movies, all the food they can eat, special excursions, bedding, showers, and many other luxuries not permitted during the game of Survivor. Additionally, the contestants get a chance to ponder on who they will vote for as the winner of the show, and conversations between the jurors at Ponderosa can decide the outcome of the season.

Final Tribal Council
On Day 39, except in the case of Australian Outback which lasted 42 days, at the Final Tribal Council, after hearing the finalists' opening words, every Jury member gives their Jury speech, giving a chance to ask them a question or make a comment regarding their game and the moves they made. After all jurors have spoken, the finalists give their final statements, trying to convince the Jury members to vote for them. The Jury then votes for a winner.

Exceptions to Speaking at Tribal Council
The members of the Jury are not permitted to speak during Tribal Council, in order to prevent them from influencing the game. They may, however, talk to one another. Usually, jury members express their thoughts and feelings through facial expressions, hand gestures and laughter, but there were several cases when one of the jurors actually spoke during Tribal Council:
 * In, John Carroll was asked by Jeff Probst to tell the final three castaways and the other Jury members about Paschal English's condition. (Paschal collapsed after being voted out and was sent to a hospital. Because of this, he missed said Tribal Council.)
 * In, Jonathan Penner thanked Yul Kwon for bringing him his hat.
 * In, at James Clement's first Tribal Council as a Jury member after being medically evacuated, Jeff Probst asked James to explain to everyone why he had an IV bag of antibiotics.
 * Later in Survivor: Micronesia, after Erik Reichenbach gave up his Immunity Necklace, James Clement stated that he was no longer the dumbest Survivor ever.
 * In, Courtney Yates said multiple comments to fellow jury member Coach, though quietly enough that no one else could hear.
 * In, Morgan McLeod said "Who's Jeremy?" when Tony Vlachos said Jeremiah Wood's name wrong, but quietly enough to necessitate captions.
 * In, Jeremy Collins told fellow juror Josh Canfield his reaction about two Hidden Immunity Idols being played. Baylor Wilson was allowed to talk to her mother after Reed Kelly's jury speech attacking Missy Paine's gameplay.

Trivia

 * The Jury has appeared on every season of Survivor (U.S.), as a fundamental part of the game. However, some foreign versions use a challenge to decide the Sole Survivor.
 * Rupert Boneham is the only player to be on three juries.
 * He is the only castaway to vote for the same person in two separate seasons: he voted for Sandra Diaz-Twine on both and.
 * Despite playing the game four times, Rob Mariano has never been a member of the Jury.
 * He was voted out one cycle before the Jury phase on both and, and was a finalist on Survivor: All-Stars and.
 * Russell Hantz is currently the only three-time participant to never be a Jury member.
 * Tyson Apostol, Tina Wesson, Stephenie LaGrossa, Parvati Shallow, Amanda Kimmel and Colby Donaldson participated three times but only were on the jury once.
 * According to the revisions of the Survivor Rulebook, depending on the circumstances, a person who quits during the Jury phase may or may not be included on the Jury. In such a case, the Jury can be comprised of less members than initially planned, or a Final Two may take place instead of a Final Three.
 * The only tribe not to be represented on the Jury by an original member is Aitutaki of Survivor: Cook Islands.
 * However, one of its original members, Ozzy Lusth, was a Jury member on his two other seasons, and.
 * The Jury of Survivor: Redemption Island is the only time in a season with returning players that no returning players were on the Jury.
 * Two-time castaways Alicia Calaway, Eliza Orlins, Laura Morett, Tom Buchanan, Lex van den Berghe, Andrea Boehlke and Malcolm Freberg, and three-time castaways Candice Cody, Jonathan Penner, and Cirie Fields, have been on the Jury twice and voted for the eventual Sole Survivor on both occasions.
 * On the other hand, two-time castaways Jenna Lewis and Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, and three-time castaway James Clement, have been on the Jury twice and voted for the eventual runner-up on both occasions.
 * Erik Huffman is the only member of the Jury to vote for an eventual third-place finisher. He voted for Amanda Kimmel at the Final Tribal Council of . This would later be followed by Baylor Wilson of Survivor: San Juan Del Sur when she voted for her loved-one, Missy Payne.