But Richard M. Hoffman still
faces loss of his job for August drunken driving crash.
Posted by Daryl Nerl
A Bethlehem police officer who
was arrested in August for drunken driving was accepted Monday into a program
for first-time offenders, according to published reports.
If Richard M. Hoffman
successfully completes the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, he
can avoid having a criminal record in his future. But his status as a member of
the Bethlehem Police Department remains very much in jeopardy.
In December, former Police
Chief Craig Finnerty recommended that Hoffman’s employment be terminated and,
last week, Mayor Bob Donchez recommended that City Council proceed with a
termination hearing.
Hoffman was charged after
crashing his personal car into a legally parked vehicle on E. Broad Street,
near High Street, on Aug. 8, police said. Two other parked vehicles were
damaged in the crash.
A blood test revealed that
Hoffman had a .16 percent blood-alcohol level, which is twice the legal limit
to drive in Pennsylvania, police said.
The terms of Hoffman’s
rehabilitative disposition include six months of probation, loss of his
driver’s license for 60 days, mandatory attendance at alcohol highway safety
classes, continued alcohol treatment and 25 hours of community service,
according to The Morning Call.
