What are the requirements for the ARD program?

With ARD, a person pleads not guilty to criminal charges but agrees to accept a punishment in exchange for a dismissal and then expungement of the charges.  The dismissal sounds good, but the punishment portion does not.  Almost all ARD programs require things like:

The precise ARD requirements often vary a bit depending upon the charges that are filed.  For example, alcohol-related offenses often require completion of alcohol classes, whereas an assault case would require completion of an anger management program.  While many counties have similar ARD conditions and requirements, differences often arise in the administration of ARD.  For example, some counties require that community service is completed in the county in which the charges were filed.  Requirements also vary from county to county.  Some counties require completion of community service, other do not.  Some counties require that the service be completed in the county in which the charges were filed, other do not.  In some counties, the “supervision” component requires face-to-face meetings with a probation officer, and those meetings could include drug tests.  In other counties, “supervision” only requires a person to call in or email once a month and does not require drug-testing.

Free Initial Consultation with an Experienced State College Attorney

Want to know what requirements could be imposed for a particular county?  Call a criminal defense attorney that has experience in handling cases in which you were charged.  The State College criminal defense firm of JD Law has experience in handling ARD cases in Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon, and Clearfield counties.  If you are charged with an offense in those counties, contact us at (814) 689-9139 or via email for a free case review.  If you are charged in a different county, you can contat us and ask for a referral.  We can often provide contact information for an experienced criminal defense attorney that can assist you.