The Butler County District Attorney's Office Wednesday dropped all criminal charges against Anna Saker, the Mars High School principal.

And during the same court hearing, Saker's husband, Nazih Saker, whose involvement with a police officer precipitated his wife's case, pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced to probation.

"I'm very happy,"Anna Saker, 51, said outside the courtroom. "Justice has prevailed."

Anna and Nazih Saker initially each faced numerous charges after a May 8 run-in with Mars police officer Dan Tressler.

According to court records, the confrontation began when Tressler pulled over the couple's speeding Cadillac and attempted to ticket Nazih Saker, 64.

A heated disagreement ensued between the officer and driver, with Nazih Saker reportedly shouting obscenities and threatening the officer. The dispute continued when the officer followed as Nazih Saker drove off to the couple's Adams Township home.

There, Anna Saker reportedly tried to intervene despite orders to stay out of the fray.

District Attorney Richard Goldinger said Tressler took the appropriate action in filing charges against both Sakers "based on what we knew at that time."

But, Goldinger said, since then, prosecutors scrutinized the evidence as well as testimony given during a preliminary hearing.

The entire case against Anna Saker was dropped Wednesday. She had been charged with multiple counts of disorderly conduct and one count of obstructing justice.

"We are not condoning her (Anna Saker's) actions,"Goldinger said. "But we don't think her behavior rose to a criminal level. Frankly, he(Nazih Saker)was the one who created the situation, and he will be supervised."

Nazih Saker initially faced about a dozen charges, including felony assault. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and summary traffic violations of speeding and careless driving.

Nazih Saker was sentenced to 6 months of probation by Butler County Judge Timothy McCune.

The judge, who ordered the defendant to get anger management counseling during his probationary period, called the case's outcome, "a just resolution ... If you (Nazih Saker) had to do this all over again, I don't think we would end up here."

Nazih Saker's attorney Mike Pawk said in court his client is a retired employee of General Motors, a father and a grandfather who has called Butler County home for a decade.

After the hearing, Pawk said the case concluded "in the best interest of justice."

Anna Saker in August took a leave of absence from the school district. On Wednesday, she refused to talk about the health conditions that prompted her to take off the first semester of this school year.

Anna Saker's attorney, Al Lindsay, said his client was not given special consideration in the case based on her position in the community. Rather, Lindsay claimed exactly the opposite had occurred.

"I don't think these charges would have been brought against her if not for her position,"Lindsay said.

Anna Saker said she has received much support from the community since these charges were filed.

"There have been five people here already today (who have supported me),"she said.

But not everyone in the courthouse was standing behind the Sakers.

Mars Mayor Dick Settlemire attended Wednesday's court hearing, and afterward expressed extreme dissatisfaction.

Settlemire, who as mayor oversees the borough police department, said he supports the police department and the officer who filed these charges, who was in the court room.

Settlemire said the outcome of this case sends "a bad message to the community."

Eagle staff writer Paula Grubbs contributed to this report.