Pennsylvania superintendent charged with DUI

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is never a good decision, but sometimes, people make mistakes. While drunk driving charges carry a certain social stigma, especially for those in positions in the public eye, it may be possible for first-time offenders to take part in alternative programs that can make it easier to go back to a job and the community.

A drunk driving case involving the superintendent of a school in western Pennsylvania has ended with the man being admitted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. According to reports, the 55-year-old man, employed in the Trinity Area School District in Washington County, was driving in Ohio Township in February when he allegedly crossed over the centerline and almost hit a police car. He was pulled over by an officer, and a blood-alcohol test administered at a hospital showed a blood alcohol content of .207 — that’s more than double the level allowed by law while operating a vehicle.

The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program is designed for first-time offenders, and all those who wish to be accepted into the program must be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office first. The program allows those accused to serve a probationary sentence with other conditions such as completing rehab or community service or paying restitution. It is possible for defendants to get their records expunged in some cases after completing the program. The superintendent was accepted into the program on May 16. The superintendent was suspended from his job without pay following his arrest, but his lawyer said that the defense was hopeful the man would be able to go back to work when the case was put to rest. First-time drunk driving offenders may be able to use these types of alternative programs to avoid jail time and have a chance at getting their lives back on track.

Source:  Daily Journal, “Western Pennsylvania school superintendent gets ARD in DUI case” No author given, May. 17, 2014