Perceptions of plea bargains for driving under the influence (DUI) cases involving alcohol and marijuana

Two experiments investigated plea bargains in a mock driving under the influence (DUI) case. In each experiment, participants (78 [47 females and 31 males] in Experiment 1 and 92 [48 females and 44 males] in Experiment 2) read vignettes describing a plea bargain in a DUI case. Both experiments employed a within-subjects design: Type of Substance (alcohol vs. marijuana), Type of Plea Bargain Agreement (minimum time of suspended license vs. median time of suspended license), and Number of DUI Arrests (1 DUI arrest vs. 2 DUI arrests in a 10-year period [Experiment 1] or 1-year period [Experiment 2]). The results showed less support for plea bargains when the DUI case: (a) involved alcohol, (b) involved a minimum time of suspended license, and (c) involved two DUI arrests in a 1-year period. The results are discussed in terms of procedural justice theory and the impact of the general public’s perceptions of plea bargains as a legal tool.