Former democratic Jury Commissioner Gets HUGE Break:

Tavern owner placed in probation program for first-time, non-violent offenders

By MARGARET GIBBONS , Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — The former Democratic Montgomery County jury commissioner, charged criminally with possessing an illegal gambling machine at a tavern she owns, yesterday was placed in a diversionary program for first-time offenders.

Montgomery County Judge Bernard A. Moore approved a request from Joanne C. Olszewski, 64, of Blue Bell and defense attorney Robert E. Goldman for placement in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program.

ARD is a probation diversion program for first-time offenders of non-violent crimes.

The program allows offenders to clear their records after successfully completing the conditions of their probation. The program does not require a defendant to admit to a crime.

Moore directed Olszewski to serve a one-year probationary sentence, pay $1,729 in court costs, testify truthfully against any of her co-defendants if required and perform 36 hours of community service with a volunteer environmental group in Springfield Township.

Read the rest of the article here.