Ending Without A Conviction
Controlled Substance Act 17 — probation without verdict for a drug dependent person, available once
Who. The court may place on probation without verdict a person who pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a nonviolent offense under the act and proves drug dependency through the testimony of a physician or psychologist trained in drug abuse.
- A prior conviction under the act, or a similar federal or state law.
- A prior misdemeanor or felony conviction in Pennsylvania, or an equivalent elsewhere.
- A prior Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition on a drug, misdemeanor or felony charge.
- Multiple offenses from separate conduct or separate criminal episodes.
Those are among the grounds that make a person ineligible.
Not a conviction for any purpose. On fulfilling the terms, the court discharges the person and dismisses the proceedings. The discharge is without adjudication of guilt and is not a conviction for any purpose. Probation without verdict is available to a person only once.
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition is set out in court rules that are not on this page. Whether a person qualifies, what conditions a court sets, and whether the record can later be sealed are questions for a licensed Pennsylvania attorney. Sealing has its own page.
Sources for this section (1)
- Controlled Substance Act 17 — Probation without verdict
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.