Differences in DUI Punishments and Recidivism Between Transfers Among Municipal and District Court

Abstract

The relationship between court transfers and punishment differences, as well as changes in recidivism, have been seldomly researched. This paper adds to the body of research by comparing punishments from DUI cases heard in municipal court and DUI cases heard in district court. The differences in recidivism between the defendants whose cases were heard in municipal and district court are also compared. A systematic sample of DUI offenders from Fargo and West Fargo, North Dakota make up the experimental and control groups. The 511 non-transfer cases are analyzed against the 402 transfer cases using crosstabulations and logistic regression techniques. The results of the analyses suggest mild support for transferring to district court and no support for any change in recidivism. Specific details of the results are discussed below, as well as the limitations of the study.