SAXONBURG — After a preliminary hearing Wednesday, a Clinton Township man has one less charge, but will appear in county court to answer for 10 others across two cases.

Assistant District Attorney Amanda Scarpo withdrew one charge of terroristic threats, stemming from accusations that Jason Armour, 41, allegedly beat a man at gunpoint and threatened him outside a Saxonburg car wash.

Armour's attorney, Thomas M. McKinley, argued that cell phone video footage shown in court Wednesday contained no audio or evidence of threats.

“We heard no testimony today that there was a threat to anyone,” he said.

Scarpo said she agreed the evidence did not display or show a threat, which is why she withdrew the charge.

District Judge Sue Haggerty approved of the withdrawal, but agreed with the prosecution to carry on with the other charges, including felony aggravated assault, despite McKinley's call for the dismissal of the entire case.

McKinley said the case was built on a foundation of the victims' accounts, neither of whom appeared in court Wednesday.

“I would make the argument that the entire case is based on hearsay,” McKinley said.

McKinley also argued against the video shown in court, which he said showed a man in a hoodie holding an unknown object.

According to testimony by Trooper Austin Griffith, the video was received from one of the victims. The video was shown to the defense and Haggerty.

“Through my experience and training, I observed a handgun,” Griffith said.

However, when questioned by McKinley, Griffith said no gun has been recovered and “no serious bodily injury” was caused to the victim.

“There's tons of things that look like a handgun,” McKinley said.

Griffith said he got a second video from the car wash's surveillance camera.

Scarpo said the video was unavailable in court Wednesday, but would be available during discovery, which is when the prosecution turns over their evidence to the defense.

“There is other evidence,” Scarpo said. “The victims will be subpoenaed at the time of this trial.”

As for the presence of the gun, Scarpo said the object in the video was brandished as if it were a gun, and the defense failed to prove otherwise.

“There has been no evidence to the contrary,” she said.

Haggerty agreed on multiple points with the prosecution.

“I don't feel that it is all hearsay,” she said.

Haggerty ruled for the remaining four charges to be held for court.

In the case, Armour will appear for a formal arraignment April 6 before Judge William Shaffer in the Court of Common Pleas.

The car wash case was the second of two back-to-back preliminary hearings for Armour.

The first hearing involved six misdemeanor charges against Armour for allegedly running his wife's car off the road and threatening her boyfriend, all while the woman's 12-year-old son was in the vehicle.

Armour waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the case, and his formal arraignment for that case will also be April 6 in the Court of Common Pleas.

In that case, Armour is facing charges that include simple assault and terroristic threats, among others.