In Pennsylvania, the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program (ARD) functions as a vital alternative to traditional criminal prosecution for eligible, non-violent offenders. ARD is designed to address a critical, yet often overlooked, goal of our criminal justice system – the rehabilitation and reintegration of criminal offenders back into society. It offers a second chance and reduces the deleterious consequences that a criminal conviction would otherwise have on an individual’s life. This article explores the important advantages ARD offers eligible defendants who are charged with a crime. What is ARD? ARD is a pre-trial diversionary program provided by the Pennsylvania Rules of… read more »
Understanding the Pennsylvania Partition Action: Resolving Disputes Between Co-Owners of Real Property
Co-ownership of real estate can be a beneficial arrangement, allowing individuals to increase purchasing power through pooling of resources, sharing the responsibility of property maintenance, and reducing transaction costs. However, co-ownership of property can sometimes lead to conflict and disagreements among the co-owners. Whether it’s siblings who inherit and want to subdivide “the back 40” of a family estate, unmarried couples who break up after buying a house together, or ex-spouses whose property was never disposed of during a divorce proceeding, these disagreements must be addressed in an orderly manner. In Pennsylvania, the primary mechanism for resolving such disputes… read more »
