Pennsylvania’s ARD Program

ARD stands for Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition. It is a program Pennsylvania uses for first time Driving Under the Influence offenders. If you qualify for the program and successfully complete it, your case will be dismissed, and you will be allowed to have your lawyer go through the steps necessary to get your record expunged. It’s important even with a first-time Driving Under the Influence charge and Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition qualification, that you hire an experienced Pittsburgh DUI attorney to represent you and guide you through the system.

There are four criteria a case must meet for the person charged with Driving Under the Influence to be allowed to go through the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. First, the defendant must have no previous convictions. Second, he or she cannot have had a child or children under the age of 14 in the car with them at the time of their Driving Under the Influence arrest. Third, the DUI must not have involved an accident that caused serious injuries. Fourth, the person charged with DUI must have a valid license and automobile insurance. If a person meets all four criteria, he or she is eligible to enter the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. The program runs for either six months or a year, a determination made by the judge handling the case.

Participation in Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition includes the completion of an alcohol evaluation interview, also called a CRN or court reporting network. The participant must also attend a driving safety school. Attendance requirements depend on the offender’s Blood Alcohol Concentration and the way he or she completed the alcohol evaluation interview. Additionally, the participant must perform community service. The number of hours depends on the county; they all require different amounts. If the ARD program participant is successful in completing it, his case will be dismissed. He can then have his record expunged, though this is not part of the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program and doesn’t occur automatically. The participant’s DUI attorney must file a petition and an order; when it is granted, the DUI arrest is removed from the person’s NCIC permanent criminal record.

Having your record expunged means that future employers and anyone else doing background checks will not know that you had a DUI conviction. This is a very important feature, given the number of places that will decline you for jobs, housing, professional licensing, or even credit for having a criminal record.

One of the purposes for the Advanced Rehabilitative Disposition program is to educate first-time DUI offenders, with the goal of deterring them from committing the crime again. If you take the program seriously, giving honest answers to the assessment, paying attention in the classes, and serving the community service, you will end with a chance for a fresh start.

Dealing with a first-time DUI is a complicated process. Hiring an experienced and qualified Pittsburgh DUI attorney is an important step toward understanding it. He will give you a detailed explanation of your charges, and describe the options available for your defense. He will stay by your side as you navigate the criminal justice system.

If you have been charged for the first time with Driving Under the Influence in or around the city of Pittsburgh, and think you qualify for ARD, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney. The Logue Criminal Defense team has served hundreds of DUI clients. With offices in Pittsburgh, PA, West Virginia, and Ohio, Sean Logue and his associates are available day or night. To get in schedule an initial consultation, call us today at 844.PITT.DUI or 844.PITT.DUI. If you prefer, you can contact us online.

Don’t hesitate to call! If you wait to hire a lawyer, it will be more difficult it when you finally do for him or her to get a good outcome, including inclusion in the ARD program. Call today!