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ARD Can Help You Avoid Having A Criminal Record

A bad decision one day can follow you for the rest of your life when it results in a criminal conviction. Whether you are a student attending Penn State University or an adult who lives in State College, a criminal record is not something you want. It appears on background checks for loan requests or rental applications. It is visible to employers when you apply for a job.

At the Law Office of Lance T. Marshall, I help my clients avoid this result whenever possible. I am able to accomplish this goal in many cases by taking advantage of the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program available in Pennsylvania.

Call my office in State College at 814-308-0422 for a free consultation to discuss whether you may be eligible for ARD.

What Is ARD? Who Is Eligible For The Program?

ARD is a pretrial diversionary program. The district attorney must first make a motion before the court that you are an appropriate candidate for ARD. Second, the judge must accept the candidate into the program. Generally speaking, an appropriate candidate for ARD is someone who has never had any previous trouble with the court system and the offense for which they are currently charged is considered a nonviolent offense such as DUI or possession of drugs.

The district attorney is given wide discretion as to who is an appropriate candidate for ARD. It is the usual practice for a defense lawyer to make it known to the district attorney that an individual is seeking inclusion into the ARD program.

Why Is ARD A Program You Should Consider?

Like all cases, each individual is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is found guilty at trial. With ARD, the individual simply “volunteers” to go on probation.

Probation for ARD is very similar to probation if you were to plead guilty or be found guilty after trial. The difference is, with ARD probation, if you successfully compete the ARD probationary period, meaning you pay all of your court costs, fees and restitution, and if you do not get into any more trouble, then the charges against you will be dismissed.

Most importantly, after your charges are dismissed, I will file a Motion to Expunge your record. Once your record is expunged, you will have a “clean” criminal history.

Call For A Free Initial Consultation With Me

With my free initial consultations, you do not have to worry about whether you can afford to talk to a private attorney about your options. Call my office at 814-308-0422 or send me an email, and I will contact you to schedule your free consultation.