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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; A protection-from-abuse order recently was filed by District Judge Daniel O&rsquo;Donnell against his estranged wife but quickly dismissed at the magistrate&rsquo;s request, court documents show.
				O&rsquo;Donnell, who serves in Butler Township, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/788599/district-judge-cited-with-harassment-president-judge-reassigns-criminal-cases" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recently was cited with harassment</a> in connection with an alleged 2019 incident involving his father-in-law, Francis Petrovich.
				In his PFA application, O&rsquo;Donnell alleged that he was attacked by Petrovich, and that he has been harassed by phone calls and text messages, and was followed by a relative of his estranged wife.
				Efforts to reach O&rsquo;Donnell on Thursday afternoon were unsuccessful.
				The citation
				State police on June 19 cited O&rsquo;Donnell, 51, of Butler Township, with harassment after following up on a complaint filed by Petrovich.
				The citation alleges O&rsquo;Donnell shoved Petrovich, 80, during a verbal argument inside the district judge&rsquo;s residence in Drums on June 16, 2019.
				The complaint was initially filed with the Luzerne County District Attorney&rsquo;s Office and forwarded to state police in Hazleton to review.
				When contacted after the citation was filed, O&rsquo;Donnell told the Times Leader he planned to plead not guilty and request a summary hearing. He declined further comment on advice of his attorney, whom he refused to name.
				Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough has prohibited O&rsquo;Donnell from presiding over criminal cases, which were transferred to District Judge Joseph Zola in Hazleton. Under Vough&rsquo;s order, O&rsquo;Donnell can continue to preside over civil cases.
				Vough said he planned to request a magisterial district judge from another county to preside over the summary trial.
				PFA filed
				Several days after O&rsquo;Donnell was cited, his application for a protection-from abuse order was filed in Luzerne County Court on June 29. It was obtained by the Times Leader on Thursday.
				According to the petition, O&rsquo;Donnell wrote that a magisterial district judge in another county granted his PFA application on June 28.
				On the same day the PFA application was filed in Luzerne County Court, O&rsquo;Donnell sought and was granted a dismissal.
				In the application, O&rsquo;Donnell wrote he filed for divorce in July 2019 from his wife subsequent to an incident involving her father.
				O&rsquo;Donnell alleged in the PFA application he was attacked by Petrovich, who he claimed was intoxicated, during a verbal dispute about someone grabbing his estranged wife&rsquo;s chest. O&rsquo;Donnell wrote that the verbal dispute was the demise of their 27-year marriage.
				O&rsquo;Donnell alleged in the application that any effort to rekindle their marriage failed and he has been harassed by phone calls and text messages, and was followed by a relative of his estranged wife when he moved from their home to a gated community.
				A summary hearing on the harassment citation has not been scheduled.

District judge recants PFA application against estranged wife