Lebanon County’s chief detective Jonathan C. Hess has been admitted to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program following his October arrest for driving under the influence.
ARD is a pre-trial program in Pennsylvania that allows first-time offenders to have their charges dismissed and expunged from their record, if they complete all program requirements.
Hess was arrested on Oct. 5 by Manheim Borough police after a caller informed 911 that a driver traveling south on Route 72 was “driving erratically” and the individual had potentially “hit a divider previously.”
Hess was charged on Oct. 10 after his blood-alcohol level was reported as 0.219%. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08%. The detective was charged with two misdemeanors for first offense DUI, including one for having a 0.16% or higher BAC.
Hess pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf, Hess’s boss, has commented little on the charges except for an initial statement throwing her support behind Hess. The two are not related.
Read More: Following DUI arrest in Lancaster County, DA throws support behind chief detective
According to Hess’s criminal docket, as part of ARD he will be enrolled in mandatory substance abuse education and made to pay approximately $1,900 in fines and other fees. Additional ARD conditions imposed by Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Judge Margaret Miller include one year of probation, mandatory community service, and a license suspension.
Pennsylvania state law for the ARD program requires a 60-day license suspension for DUIs where the defendant’s BAC was 0.16% or higher.
After Hess waived his preliminary hearing in court in late November, WGAL Channel 8 reported, without citing a source, that Hess had been suspended as a result of his arrest.
Read More: TV station reports chief county detective’s suspension for DUI arrest
LebTown had obtained documents through a Right-to-Know request that revealed Hess had his pay docked for one week during a period in late October and early November. Hess’s payroll timesheet for the Oct. 27-Nov. 9 pay period is marked “Adj -” with an amount that corresponds to 1/52 of Hess’ annual salary.
The timesheet does not indicate why the requested adjustment in salary was taken. County controller Robert Mettley said that he was unable to specify the exact reason for the adjustment as it was a personnel matter.
County officials, including DA Hess Graf and Lebanon County Commissioners Mike Kuhn, Bob Phillips, and Jo Ellen Litz, all declined to comment on any work suspension, saying it was a personnel matter.
County records obtained by LebTown through a Right-to-Know request showed that Hess was the county lead for its DUI enforcement program as of August 2022.
In December, LebTown asked Phillips, Kuhn and Hess Graf whether Hess remained the lead detective for the Lebanon County DUI Task Force. Hess Graf did not respond, and Phillips and Kuhn referred the question to county administrator Jamie Wolgemuth.
Wolgemuth wrote to LebTown that he was told by First Assistant District Attorney Brian Diederick that Lebanon County Detective Todd Hirsch was named lead enforcement officer of the Lebanon County DUI Task Force in “the beginning of October,” but was unsure of the exact date when that happened.
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