The three dispositions considered were acquittal and dismissal, a nonincarcerative sentence, and a sentence to prison or jail. The three-way interaction of pleading guilty, racial or ethnic group membership, and the extent of prior court experience and this interaction's effects on rates of moving through the legal system were assessed. Pleading guilty increased the speed of processing through the system most when the defendant's sentence did not involve incarceration. However, this effect did not occur for second or later arrests of Hispanics. Findings provided greater support for theories of resource mobilization by defendants than for theories of cultural stereotyping. Data tables, footnotes, and 69 references. (Author abstract modified)