THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE EMPHASIZES THE IMPERFECT CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ALLEGED DEVIANCE AND SOCIETAL REACTIONS TO DEVIANCE, ASSERTING THAT THE IMPERFECTION IS ATTRIBUTABLE IN PART TO THE VALUES OF REACTORS, THE STATUS OF THE ALLEGED DEVIANT, AND BUREAUCRATIC CONSTRAINTS ON DEVIANCE-PROCESSING ORGANIZATIONS. DATA ON PLEA BARGAINING OUTCOMES FOR A SAMPLE OF MALE AND FEMALE DEFENDANTS ARRAIGNED AND CONVICTED IN A NEW YORK CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR COURT BETWEEN DECEMBER 1974 AND FEBRUARY 1975 ARE ANALYZED TO ASSESS THE CONSONANCE BETWEEN SUCH DATA AND THE ASSUMPTIONS OF THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE. THE FAVORABILITY OF THE CHARGE REDUCTION OUTCOME IS FOUND TO BE EXPLAINED IN PART BY VALUES OF REACTORS, STATUS OF DEFENDANT, AND BUREAUCRATIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE COURT. THUS THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE GENERAL THRUST OF INTERACTIONIST THEORY. HOWEVER, THE FINDING THAT ASCRIBED STATUS PLAYS A RELATIVELY SMALL DETERMINATIVE ROLE COMPARED TO THE ROLE PLAYED BY ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS SUGGESTS THAT REFORMULATIONS OF THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE SHOULD PAY GREATER ATTENTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL VARIABLES. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT THE EFFECT OF LABELS CARRIED FORTH FROM PRIOR DEVIANCE-PROCESSING STAGES (E.G., PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD) IS NOT IN THE DIRECTION PREDICTED BY INTERACTIONIST THEORY, PERSONS CARRYING FORTH A PRIOR ARREST LABEL DO BETTER IN PLEA BARGAINING THAN DO PERSONS WITH NO PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD -- AN INDICATION THAT EXPERIENCE WITH THE WORKING OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY ENHANCE NEGOTIATING ABILITIES. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).