The accusations of battery against Porterdale councilman Robert Foxworth were dismissed by Magistrate Court Judge John Degonia this morning, after the judge heard from alleged victims Dawn and Skylar Taylor.

The Taylors accused Foxworth of cursing at them, threatening them and hitting Skylar with a car door when Dawn refused to take Foxworth's card or tell him her name or address at city hall on Sept. 27.

Her husband Skylar came to court leaning heavily on a cane. When asked if he had always walked with the cane, Dawn said Skylar was in a serious car accident four years ago, while Porterdale city employees Megan Reid and Robert Witcher shook their heads "no."

Throughout the Taylor's testimony, laughter rang through the courtroom, as those waiting for their turn before the judge heard how Foxworth attempted to leave and Skylar pursued him wanting to know why the councilman needed his wife's name and address.

"Kind of like a cow being worried by dogs," said Degonia. "Every so often the cow will turn around and wave his horns at you. Do you see the simile? ... Let's hear more, this is fascinating," he said to the Taylors.

"He walked toward his truck," said Skylar

"And you're still chasing him, aren't you," asked the judge, as the gallery chuckled.

"So to speak," Skylar replied.

The story from Dawn and Skylar remained largely the same as what was stated in the incident report and from her formal statement. It did differ in one respect. In their previous statements the couple had said Foxworth hit Skylar with his truck door "knocking him back." In court they said Foxworth slammed his truck door into Skylar with both hands, knocking him over.

"I can take a warrant for both of you for disorderly conduct, would that make you happy?" asked the judge. "...Don't you see that you chased the man?"

When Dawn Taylor told the judge she had statements from other people in Porterdale who had similar run-ins with Foxworth the judge told her it wasn't his concern.

"Well it should be," she quipped.

"What I see is a woman taking umbrage over obscure statements," the judge told her. "...Frankly I'm surprised he [Foxworth] didn't punch him [Skylar] in the nose halfway there [to Foxworth's truck]."

The Taylors were clearly unhappy with the judge's statements and Dawn kept attempting to speak over him.

"Shut up!" Degonia yelled. "...You can't pursue people... You can't go around bothering people. Don't you understand that? ...I'm strongly tempted to charge this gentleman with disorderly conduct," he said of Skylar, before dismissing the charges.

Neither Foxworth or his witnesses were required to speak during the roughly 30-minute hearing.