News out of State College that Centre County Judge Charles Brown, Jr., dismissed two felony charges and three lesser charges filed against Penn State’s Anthony Scirrotto is nothing but good news for the All Big Ten safety. The charges stemmed from a brawl last spring at an off-campus apartment.

The junior from Deptford, N.J., still faces a felony count of criminal trespass and one count of harassment, so he is not yet home free. But the ruling is only going to make it much easier for head coach Joe Paterno to eventually let Scirrotto off with a slap on the wrist. This could also pave the way for some sort of plea agreement on the remaining charges, or lead to dismissal of all charges.

In his written order, Brown ruled that there was no evidence that Scirrotto instigated the fight. His defense attorney, Ron McGlaughlin, is now saying that “there is nothing to establish (his client) did anything criminal other than enter the apartment."

So far, Paterno has resisted calls to suspend Scirrotto and backup defensive end Chris Baker, saying that he is waiting for the legal system to run its course. That sure looks like the prudent move right about now.