Although all criminal charges against Anna Saker, Mars High School principal, were dropped Wednesday by the Butler County District Attorney's Office, the stain on her reputation as a no-nonsense school leader is destined to linger, if only on a limited scope.

That's the unfortunate fallout many people who have faced criminal charges continue to endure, even though they have been acquitted or, for whatever reason, cases against them were not pursued.

If, in whatever future dealing, Saker is asked "Have you ever been charged with a crime?" unfortunately she will have to answer "Yes" and then, presumably, have to explain what occurred and how her case was resolved.

Everyone should consider such fallout and potential ongoing ramifications as they conduct their everyday lives. Stepping back from a volatile situation — allowing oneself to think about what's happening and the potential consequences — can prevent much difficulty, inconvenience and, possibly, a criminal case and subsequent punishment.

No one ever is too young or too old to reflect on that.

Saker's mistake was allowing herself to become involved in a dispute between her husband, Nazih Saker, and a Mars police officer who stopped the couple's car for a speeding violation.

Anna Saker chose to intervene despite orders from the police officer not to become involved.

In the end, both Anna Saker and her husband faced numerous charges; the charges against Anna Saker were multiple counts of disorderly conduct and one count of obstructing justice, due to the belligerence she displayed.

Her husband on Wednesday pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced to probation.

The expectation for a school principal is to be a good example to those employees whom she supervises and to those students whose education she is entrusted. On May 8, the day of her arrest, she failed that expectation.

That remains true despite the charges against her having been withdrawn.

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and that remained true for Anna Saker throughout her case. But the stain of having been arrested at all remains an unfortunate reality, despite the District Attorney's Office's decision to drop the charges against her.

And, contrary to district superintendent William Pettigrew's initial observation that Saker's "private situation has nothing to do with the school district," Saker's legal troubles have impacted the district by being a cloud over her image.

Anna Saker will have to live with that when she returns to her high school principal duties in January; she opted for a first-semester leave purportedly for health reasons.

"We are not condoning her actions," District Attorney Richard Goldinger said at Wednesday's proceedings. "But we don't think her behavior rose to a criminal level."

Not everyone agrees, as an article in Thursday's Butler Eagle reported. In fact, Mars Mayor Dick Settlemire said the outcome of the case sends "a bad message to the community."

It is now the responsibility of Mars district residents to sort out their thoughts about all that has transpired. However, based on the district attorney's decision, Anna Saker deserves the benefit of the doubt — residents' confidence that she will be able to regain the stature and respect that she had earned and maintained prior to her unfortunate incident.

Anna Saker erred and has paid a price, despite the outcome of her case in her favor. When she returns, it is to be hoped the school community will not allow her bad judgment on May 8 to keep her from fully exercising her responsibilities and being as effective a leader as she was before the incident.

Despite the lingering stain that unfortunately will take time to fade, anyone else would hope for the kind of understanding and forgiveness that Saker now hopes she will find.

Still, Saker and the district maintained a zero-tolerance policy, and she, despite escaping a criminal trial, violated the spirit of that policy.