ARD costs in PA include time and money. In this post we look at ARD costs (money).
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) Program Costs
Folks with no prior record charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or a controlled substance are eligible for ARD.
However, three groups of people can’t apply:
- If an individual has been found guilty of DUI or previously accepted ARD within the last ten years from the date of the new offense
- If a motorist caused an accident while driving under the influence and killed another person
- When there is a passenger under fourteen in the vehicle while they are driving under the influence.
But a great DUI attorney can sometimes negotiate away some of this disqualifications. We have in the past.
ARD costs
Folks accepted into ARD have numerous ARD program costs. They include:
- Paying for alcohol highway safety school;
- Paying for the Court Reporting Network (CRN) evaluation;
- If the court finds that you are “in need of counseling”, then you have to attend and pay the costs of counseling;
- If a court finds that you need drug or alcohol treatment, then you must pay the separate costs of that treatment;
- Paying anyone who suffered financial loss as a result of the DUI called restitution;
- if you get into ARD a “fee” goes to the municipality in which the DUI occurred;
- paying any fees in accordance with local rules (such as booking and processing fees, sheriff fees. etc.)
- Pay $25 to the State Treasury.
These fees very easily can add up to thousands of dollars.
What happens after ARD is completed?
To successfully complete ARD:
- you must satisfy all of the terms and conditions of ARD with no violations, and
- also pay all of the fees, costs and other money owed
If this happens, the government must dismiss the original charges against you. Unfortunately, some counties require folks to plead guilty to traffic offenses or summary offenses outside of ARD. This is why it is important to have an attorney who knows the ins and outs of the county and does DUI cases a lot. You don’t want to have any record at all. Some counties will automatically expunge the charges that are entered into ARD. Some counties do not. Again, this is why you need to have an experienced DUI attorney who won’t leave you hanging when you think it is all over.
How long is the ARD program in PA?
It varies upon the details of each case. It is utterly negotiable. As an example, we’ve been able to negotiate “no condition” ARD where the case is closed immediately upon payment and completing any programs. In another case, we’ve been able to get people into ARD when they are out of town or live in another state so they don’t have to come back to PA ever. Ordinarily, the court sets ARD for six months to one year.
What if I get arrested on ARD? What happens next?
You would be surprised how many folks have this happen to them. Sometimes, it is bad luck. Sometimes it is a probation/parole officer out to get them. With so many rules, it is hard for even the most angelic among us to complete the program.
To successfully complete the program, you must comply with all conditions, pay all fines, and pay all court costs.
Even after you have completed ARD, if the probation and parole department finds out that you violated a term and condition, they can try to remove you from the program even after you think the program is over. A violation of ARD and what happens next depends on what the violation is and who your attorney is. Sometimes, if the violation of ARD is minor, we can negotiate with probation to not kick you out of ARD. If we can’t, then the ARD probation officer will let the DA know. Next, the DA then can file notice in court to have a hearing to try to remove you from the ARD program and “revive” the charges against you. If that happens, you are on the way to trial. At the ARD revocation hearing lots of potential outcomes can happen:
- For example, the government fails to prove the violation. Your case continues on in ARD.
- Alternatively, the government can prove the violation. The court allows you to stay in ARD but extends the length and adds more conditions.
- Likewise, the government can prove the violation. The court orders the case closed as an “unsuccessful discharge” from ARD which means the government can’t prosecute you any further, but you can’t expunge your record.
- For instance, the government can prove the violation. The court revokes you from the ARD program and your case moves towards trial. You do not get another preliminary hearing.
In conclusion, no matter how hopeless you think ARD is for you or how hopeless you think being violated from ARD might be, give us a call. It is a free consultation. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 717-657-3900
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