PA Cumberland County - ARD question

[needadvice1963]

What is the name of your state? PA
Its been since March since I was initially pulled over and blew a .12. Been through all the emotions of it all and have learned my lesson.
I've only gotten notice that I am up for consideration into the ARD program, and my arraignment at the beginning of August was canceled.
I think there's a pretty good chance I will get into the ARD program, sometime in the future.
My question is, can I schedule the classes before I lose my license for 30 days? Do I have to wait until I am accepted and then schedule them, hopefully before my license suspension? Anyone out there schedule their classes early?What is the name of your state?

[not perfect]

while i didn't take my classes until after i went court, you can take care of your penalties before you even go to court. its a three month wait for those classes though. contact the dui coordinator.

[needadvice1963]

So , did you lose your license first , then have to wait 3 months to take the class? How long did you lose your license for?

[not perfect]

typically you'll lose your license first, then you have 30 days to get your eval, then you wait three months until your class starts. i didn't lose my license , i was thankful and truly learned my lesson. there's always that chance that you may not lose yours.

[needadvice1963]

Wow. Thats good that you did not lose your license. What was your BAC? Mine was .12, with a completely clean previous record.

[not perfect]

i was .11 i was in same boat as you. clean record, never had a speeding ticket. they put me into the general impairment category. i'm not trying to get your hopes up or anything, plan your rides out, but you never know there is always that chance.

[BigMistakeFl]

DUI is a very hot topic. It gets people more angry than pro football players hedging dog fighting bets. And most of the old DUI loopholes have been filled long ago. Take what you think you understand about your rights and throw them away. Get a decent lawyer, hope for the best, and learn from the experience. Good luck.

[not perfect]

when you get a chance to choose your classes, i would suggest the saturday classes. its three five hour classes.

[needadvice1963]

Thanks for the advice. Where were the classes, in Carlisle?
How did you manage to get the lower level BAC? Did your lawyer do anything, or did it just fortunately happen?
I've learned my lesson, big time. Not that I was a big drinker before, but it has made me more aware of myself and others around me.
The hardest part is the waiting. Its been since March and no word yet. If I do lose my license , it will be tough since I am a single father and have to play taxi for my kids and also not sure how I will get to work. Not making excuses, I did it and I got caught and I will pay the price, but waiting is tough.
How was your car insurance affected?

[not perfect]

i didn't have a lawyer, i went with a public defender. i would recommend just going with the pd to get the ARD app done. when you go to ARD court they just call you off like five at a time. I'd imagine you'll get your information on when to appear sometime this month, because its six months between things, so you'll be done by march of next year. my insurance didn't go up, so the whole thing didn't hit me as hard as it could've/should've been. don't get me wrong though, i think about what i did every day. the classes are at the alliance church.

[needadvice1963]

Thanks again for the advice. I unfortunately paid my lawyer up front, as I thought I would need one. Turns out, he really hasn't done anything for me. I could have done it myself or thru the PD.
Plus, he said I will lose my license for 3 to 4 months, I think he's just trying to either lower my expectations or trying to make himself look better in the end. Its a little disconcerning.
I'm thinking of giving him a call to see if he can influence me getting the lower BAC, but if history prevails, i really won't get much help from him.
How much of a fine/class cost did you have to pay?

[not perfect]

i just got my expungement in the mail today...so i can finally put this behind me. i'm almost convinced you'll get into ARD (Cumberland County is fairly lax on who gets in), the DA in Cumberland County likes to get people into the deferment program so they can get back on track with their lives (his exact words) you'll then be looking at a 30 day suspension. With ARD everything is put into one lump sum. you'll be looking at anywhere from $1100 - $1500.

[needadvice1963]

Yea, live and learn, definitely. How long did it take to get the record cleaned? Did you have to apply for it?
I can always hope for no suspension....taxi to work for 30 days is going to be very expensive...not to mention how to get the kids to school and such.
You were lucky to get into the lower BAC.

[not perfect]

expungement is automatic upon successful completion, in cumberland county anyway. it takes a year, like i said you'll be done with everything by the end of march '08. anything can happen, but make sure you have your butt covered when it comes to transportation. i had everything planned out, but i got a break somehow.

[needadvice1963]

Hey , one more question for you.
How does a dui show up on a background check? Before and after the expungement? My employer as part of business does background checks periodically for government work.