MINERAL TWP., Pa. (EYT) — An area man waived his hearing on Wednesday on charges related to the alleged intimidation of a witness in Mineral Township earlier this month.

Court documents indicate the following charge against 39-year-old Paul Stewart, of Wattsburg, was waived for court on Wednesday, April 14:

– Intimidate Witness/Victim — Withhold Testimony, Felony 2

The charge has been transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.

He remains lodged in the Venango County Jail with bail denied due to unwillingness to “obey orders of the Bail Authority,” according to the court documents.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, around 11:10 p.m. on April 6, Franklin-based State Police responded to a residence in Mineral Township and spoke to a known victim about messages she received from Paul Stewart.

The victim told police that on February 29, 2020, at a residence in West Hickory, Forest County, she was physically assaulted by Stewart during an argument that turned physical when Stewart choked her with a wire, then fled the scene. She then got a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order against him, which expired in November 2020.

The victim reported that on April 6, around 7:30 p.m., she began receiving text messages and phone called from Stewart, attempting to persuade her to help him keep from going to prison.

Police viewed the text messages and the times that Stewart had attempted to call the victim’s phone. Police also verified the previous incident, which had been handled by the Marienville-based State Police.

Stewart was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey at 4:35 p.m. on April 7.

Court documents indicate Stewart is also due in the Forest County Court of Common Pleas on April 21, on charges related to the incident in Forest County last year where he allegedly choked the same victim with a wire.

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Court Summary