Berks County is joining with other counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by now offering ARDs for certain summary offenses. An ARD or Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition allows a defendant to clear their record after completing certain prerequisites, such as a payment of fines and costs, community service, or finalization of classes, like the Underage Drinking Program. It is only available to first-time offenders.
The following crimes are eligible for the program:
- Criminal Mischief
- Criminal Trespass
- Disorderly Conduct
- Harassment
- Public Drunkenness
- Retail Theft
- Truancy
- Underage Drinking
This program will be extremely beneficial to people, as having these summaries on a record may be detrimental to employment, housing, and education.