Post-Gig Car Crash: How We Helped a Musician Avoid Charges with ARD

Recently, we at the Logue Law Group handled the case of a musician who was about to get a permanent criminal record! The person had a few drinks post-gig and was driving home when he lost control and crashed into a vehicle.

Thankfully, he was driving within the speed limit and got out unharmed. However, the cops charged him with a DUI. And being aware of his rights, our client knew that if he got convicted, there was no way he could escape the criminal record. Confused about what to do, he called our Pittsburgh DUI attorneys and asked for help.

Little did he know that this phone call was going to be a game-changer for him!

How are DUI Penalties Determined in Pennsylvania?

The severity of DUI penalties largely depends upon these two factors-

• Your blood alcohol content (BAC).
• Whether you got into any aggravating situation, like an accident, or refused to take a test.

In our client’s case, his BAC levels were below 0.10%. This means he could have been saved from a license suspension, as this was his very first offense in all the years he had been driving!

But the situation wasn’t so simple! Our client lost control and hit a parked vehicle while taking a right turn. Now, this escalation could have invited him with the following consequences-

• Suspension of his driving license.
• Fines ranging from $300- $5,000.
• Up to 6 months of probation period.
• Imprisonment ranging from 48 hours to 6 months.
• Mandatory participation in alcohol safety school.
• Installation of an ignition interlocking device.

Now, as a professional musician, our client was worried about his image. He was afraid that a criminal record would tarnish his reputation would disrupt his career altogether. So, he decided to hire a Pittsburgh DUI attorney from our firm. And after a detailed discussion, we understood what he needed and started working on our defense strategies.

Survival Ticket- The ARD Program

The moment we heard the full scenario, we knew that no other way could help our client avoid a criminal record, except for an ARD!

The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program is like a pre-trial diversion program. However, not every DUI offender qualifies for this, let alone repeat offenders.

But this was the very first time our client had gotten into a situation like this. On top of that, the vehicle he crashed into had no occupants at the time of the mishap. Plus, the damages inflicted were negligible. Our Pittsburgh DUI attorneys took this situation and turned it to our advantage.

We had two solid points to defend our client-

• First, this was the very first DUI offense.
• Second, there wasn’t any fatality or injury.

Also, considering the face loss that our client was about to experience, we negotiated with the prosecution and insisted on putting our client in an ARD program. What strengthened our defense was the fact that the vehicle that our client crashed into was parked in a ‘No Parking’ zone. That gave us a bit more leverage to negotiate for a reduced penalty.

At last, the prosecution agreed to the terms of our Pittsburgh DUI attorneys and granted our client permission to attend the ARD Program. Not just that, but he was also promised an expungement after he completed the following terms-

• A 30-day license suspension.
• A CRN evaluation.
• A 12-month probation period.
• Attend an alcohol highway safety school.

Considering the situation our client was in, the results relieved him from within. In fact, he was very pleased with the outcome and regarded our Pittsburgh DUI attorneys as ‘the best-in-class!’These little gestures that we get as add-ons along with our fee are what encourage us to help people! So, if you find yourself stuck in similar situations, don’t forget to exercise your rights and place a call at 844.PITT.DUI to book a free consultation.