Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) is a pretrial intervention program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States for non-violent offenders with no prior or limited record.
The primary purpose of the program is the rehabilitation of the offender and secondarily the prompt disposition of charges, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming trials or other court proceedings.
To be accepted into an ARD program, the defendant has to agree to certain conditions such as making restitution or completing substance abuse treatment.
The defendant doesn't have to admit to any wrongdoing when applying for ARD, but must plead guilty to any summary offenses, usually violations of the motor vehicle code.
After successfully completing the program, the ARD offender may petition the court to have the charges dismissed and the case expunged.