The consequences of some crimes and traffic violations can be lessened thanks to special alternative sentencing programs, such as the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. Those who qualify for the ARD program may be able to keep their charges and conviction off their criminal record, avoid jail time and hold on to their driver's license.
People who qualify for the ARD program are usually charged with summary offenses and nonviolent crimes, and have a minor or no criminal history. But whether a person is admitted into the ARD program depends on a wide variety of circumstances, as both drivers in a collision that happened last February in Stowe, Pennsylvania, recently discovered.
