CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — An assault charge filed against a Clarion woman accused of punching another woman during a domestic dispute has been withdrawn.
Court documents indicate one second-degree misdemeanor count of simple assault filed against 30-year-old Samantha Jean Morelle was withdrawn during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, May 11.
One summary count of harassment filed against Morelle was moved to non-traffic court.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in Clarion Borough in late April.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, Clarion Borough Police were dispatched around 8:05 a.m. on Friday, April 23, to a residence on South 6th Avenue for a report of an active domestic incident.
At the scene, police spoke with Samantha Morelle, who reported that a known woman had slapped her in the face.
Police observed there were no marks on Morelle’s face, the complaint notes.
Police then spoke with the known woman.
According to the complaint, the known woman reported that Morelle was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and then stated that she did not slap Morelle. She told police that she and Morelle had been in a verbal argument.
A known witness at the scene corroborated the known woman’s statement, indicating that she overheard the verbal argument between Morelle and the known woman but did not witness any physical altercation, the complaint states.
Police then went back outside to speak to Morelle and told her the woman denied slapping her and noted she had no marks. Morelle stated there wouldn’t be any marks as she was slapped 10 hours earlier. She was then advised that no arrest would be made if no marks were visible, and she needed to stay away from the other woman until they both “cooled off,” according to the complaint.
The complaint states that police also told Morelle she was visibly intoxicated and needed to try to go to sleep for a while.
According to the complaint, Morelle then became extremely angry and began to hit herself in the face. Police told her to go inside, and they then left the residence. While they were pulling away, they were dispatched back to the same residence for a report of an assault that allegedly occurred as they were leaving. Back at the scene, they made contact with the same known female who was then holding her left eye. The officers then observed a lump under the victim’s eye.
According to the complaint, the victim reported that after the officers left, Morelle came back into the residence and started punching her and pulling her hair. The officers then went to the rear of the residence and found Morelle, who the complaint notes had blood on her nose and hands.
Morelle stated the victim struck her in the nose near the entrance to the house. However, police noted there was no blood in the area Morelle indicated and found the blood started in the living room and went into the dining room and kitchen where Morelle had been talking to police.
The witness was then interviewed again and reported she saw Morelle in the victim’s room but did not witness the physical altercation itself.
Morelle was then taken into custody for domestic assault.
Morelle became extremely angry and, when she arrived at the police station, refused to exit the police vehicle and had to be removed. She also made a comment about an officer being “slow” uncuffing her, and after the officer noted she had blood on her hands that he was trying to avoid, she attempted to touch his face with her hands, according to the complaint.
Morelle was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn at 9:56 a.m. on Friday, April 23.
