Singer Bobby Rydell avoids jail on DUI charge

1960s teen idol Bobby Rydell was in the Montgomery County Courthouse today to be sentenced for a DUI involving a minor crash last August in Lower Merion.

The judge allowed Rydell to enter into a probationary program for first-time offenders and will avoid jail time, according to reporter Carl Hessler Jr., who covered the hearing for The Pottstown Mercury.

This wasn't special treatment for a celebrity. Most first-time offenders are accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program.

A Philadelphia native, Rydell had a string of hits in the early 1960s, including "Wild One," "Volare," "Swingin' School," "Kissin' Time," "Sway," "I've Got Bonnie," and "The Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Forget Him."

Another Rydell song, "Wildwood Days," was a regional hit in 1963 and is still played today on oldies stations in the Philadelphia market.

Like so many other teen idols of his generation (Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Ricky Nelson), Rydell dropped off the charts after The Beatles landed in America.

Rydell remained a fan favorite on the oldies circuit and often played Atlantic City.

From Hessler's story on Rydell's DUI case:

NORRISTOWN – Sixties teen idol Bobby Rydell might be singing his onetime hit "Make Me Forget" after being admitted to a special probationary program for driving under the influence of alcohol in Lower Merion.

Rydell, 67, who appeared in Montgomery County Court on Tuesday under his birth name of Robert Louis Ridarelli, was accepted into the county's Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with an Aug. 17, 2009, minor crash along Montgomery Avenue in Lower Merion.

Judge Thomas P. Rogers ordered Rydell, of Lower Merion, to complete one year of probation and 24 hours of community service.

Rydell's driver's license was suspended for two months and he must attend a safe driving school. The judge ordered him to complete an alcohol evaluation and to comply with any recommendations for treatment.

Rydell, who was represented by defense lawyer Gregory Cirillo, is also responsible for paying nearly $1,800 in court costs and fines.

The special probationary program allows first-time offenders of nonviolent crimes to clear their records after successfully completing a period of probation. The program does not require offenders to admit guilt.

After the successful completion of the program, Rydell can apply to the court to have his record expunged. However, Assistant District Attorney Karen Ricca, who leads the district attorney's ARD unit, explained the infraction will stay on Rydell's driving record for 10 years.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Mercury.