In six separate cases handled before area district judges, criminal charges were withdrawn in two of them while the court ruled to dismiss the cases altogether in two others. The judges accepted guilty pleas to minor drug offenses from two men.

State police dropped charges of simple assault and harassment against Robert A. Bitler, 62, of 577 Brick Church Road, Montgomery, according to court records filed at the office of District Judge Kirsten Gardner. The charges stemmed from a domestic disturbance at his Clinton Township home on March 27, police said. In another domestic case, Lycoming Regional police withdrew the same charges against Steven Ray Barner Jr., 35, of 286 Hill St., Jersey Shore. The charges stemmed from an incident at his Porter Township home on May 7, it was stated in court documents filed at the office of District Judge Denise Dieter.

In another case that came before Gardner, the judge dismissed all charges against Elizabth Zion Torok, of 24 Strouse Road, Montgomery, ruling the 39-year-old woman was incompetent to stand trial on state police charges of aggravated and simple assault, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and harassment. The charges stemmed from her allegedly punching a state trooper while he and second trooper were taking her into custody on State Home Road in Clinton Township on March 19, 2025.

In another case, District Judge Gary Whiteman tossed out state police charges of theft and theft from a motor vehicle against Charles Russell Twigg, 41, of 854 McName Road that were filed in early April. The charges were the result of Twigg’s sister reporting that a firearm was stolen from her vehicle sometime in the first five months of last year. Whiteman threw out the case due to insufficient evidence.

In another case that Whiteman handled, the judge gave Nicholas Allen Harman, of 1142 Hadtner Ave., credit for time served for the week he spent in the Lycoming County Prison after he pled guilty to a state police charge of possessing a small amount of marijuana near East Third Street in Loyalsock Township on May 25.

In another case, Dakota Entz, of Jersey Shore, paid $501 in fines and court costs after he pled guilty last week before Dieter to a state police charge of possessing a small amount of marijuana on Route 220 in Woodward Township on April 3.