Williamsport DWI Lawyers

Eric Linhardt: Q: I HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH DUI, BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN TROUBLE BEFORE. AM I GOING TO JAIL? A: Probably not. Pennsylvania has a special probation program set aside for people who have never been in trouble with the law before. It is called ARD, and most people placed on ARD are placed on the program for DUI. ARD supervision can last anywhere from six months to two years. For DUI it's almost always one year. If recommended for the program by the District Attorney, and accepted into the program by the Judge, you will not be required to plead guilty to the DUI, and you will not be convicted of the DUI. You will lose your license for one to six months, be required to complete a number of hours of community service, take DUI education classes, and pay court costs and administrative fees (approximately $1,200.00). So long as you successfully complete the program, at the end of your supervision, the charges will be dismissed, and your record will be expunged. You should know that if you have previously been charged with DUI, have been given ARD before, were driving without a license, or your DUI resulted in an accident involving personal injury, you will not qualify for ARD.