Is the ARD Program right for you?
If you have recently been arrested for your first DUI charge while in Pittsburgh or any other Pennsylvania County, you may be eligible for a diversionary program called Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition or ARD program for short.
Although ARD is an option usually reserved for first time DUI offenders, other first time offenders could be eligible with certain approvals and consent from the alleged victim(s). For Example, persons charged with theft, retail theft, simple assault or simple possession have historically been accepted into the ARD Program provided that they have no pending charges or prior convictions.
How do I know whether to accept ARD over trial?
A good criminal defense attorney will clearly lay out the options for a favorable outcome in your case. For example, if you are charged with a first time DUI and you are offered ARD, you need to determine: What are my chances on prevailing at trial? Does my attorney seem confident about my defenses at trial? Are there any suppression motions that need to be filed to help fight the case?
Regardless of how confident your DUI Attorney appears, YOU are ultimately tasked with the responsibility of deciding whether you go to trial or opt for the ARD program. If you are successful at trial, there will be no need for ARD program, rather, just a need to expunge the charges from your record. If you do not prevail at trial, you will not be able to opt for the ARD after you are found guilty of the charges.
You should receive more than adequate and competent advice from your attorney about the pros and cons of your case to assist in the decision making process but ultimately, YOU must decide what you believe is in your best interest: ARD program or DUI Trial?
Attorney Frank Walker of Frank Walker Law is a National Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer and Personal Injury Attorney with offices in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Morgantown West Virginia.
If you or someone you love are facing criminal charges or seriously injured in an accident, contact Attorney Frank Walker immediately at 412-315-7441, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for aggressive and experienced Criminal Defense or Representation in a Civil Case.