Juror Attitudes and Verdict Outcomes: A Structured Mock-Trial Dataset for Studying Jury Decision-Making

This dataset contains de-identified responses from structured mock-trial studies designed to examine the relationship between juror attitudes, demographic characteristics, and legal decision-making. Participants were presented with a standardized case scenario and asked to complete a detailed questionnaire capturing demographic information, beliefs, and attitudes relevant to legal and social issues. Participants then rendered a verdict based on the case materials. The dataset enables analysis of how pre-trial attitudes and experiences relate to juror predispositions and verdict outcomes. It is intended to support research on jury decision-making, voir dire strategy, and the development of transparent, data-driven methods for trial preparation. Data Collection: Data were collected through online mock-trial exercises in which participants: Reviewed a standardized case vignette, Completed a structured questionnaire (including demographic and attitudinal items), and Rendered a verdict (e.g., plaintiff/defendant or guilty/not guilty). In some instances, de-identified questionnaire data contributed by professional jury consulting workflows were incorporated to improve ecological validity. All such data were anonymized prior to inclusion and used solely for non-commercial research purposes. Key Variables Include: Demographic attributes (e.g., age range, gender, education level, geographic region) Attitudinal responses (e.g., views on legal, social, and policy-related issues) Case-specific perceptions (e.g., credibility assessments, perceived fairness) Verdict outcomes (binary or categorical) Derived features for modeling juror predisposition (where applicable) Purpose and Use: This dataset is intended for: Research on juror decision-making and bias Evaluation of voir dire questioning strategies Development of interpretable machine learning models for legal decision support Legal education and training exercises in trial advocacy The dataset supports work aimed at improving transparency and access to data-driven insights in jury selection and trial preparation, particularly for public-interest and resource-constrained legal settings. Ethical Considerations: All data in this dataset are fully de-identified and contain no personally identifiable information. Data were collected and processed in accordance with applicable ethical standards for research involving human participants. The dataset is provided solely for research and educational purposes and is not intended for use in actual juror selection or decision-making in live legal proceedings. Limitations: Data are derived from mock-trial scenarios and may not fully capture real-world courtroom dynamics Participant samples may not be representative of actual jury pools Attitudinal measures are self-reported and subject to standard survey limitations