Lancaster County has a pretrial diversion program available to offenders charged with certain types of crimes (but not DUIs).
Under the Pretrial Diversion Program, the prosecutor dismisses your case if you:
(1) are accepted into the Pretrial Diversion Program and
(2) admit to the pretrial screening officer that you believe there is a reasonable likelihood you would be convicted of the charge if the case went to trial.
In Lancaster County, you may be accepted into the program after an interview concerning your background and criminal record check. A fee is charged and participants are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of volunteer work.
In addition, participants must not be convicted of any offense during the pretrial diversion period. If a participant does not comply with the terms of pretrial diversion, the charge can be refiled.
PRETRIAL DIVERSION
If you are charged with a misdemeanor in Lancaster County, you may be able to have your case dismissed through Pretrial Diversion if you:
- Complete 24-40 hours of community service
- Complete course work such as alcohol education
- Refrain from violating the law for 6 months