Thirteen defendants in pending criminal cases entered guilty pleas recently in Carbon County Court.
Judge Steven R. Serfass accepted the pleas from the following defendants.
Michael Balagoch Jr., 31, of Lehighton, pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault. He was arrested on Nov. 5, 2011, by Lehighton police for assaulting Melissa Tessitore in the area of 316 S. First St. Police indicated the incident was the result of a domestic dispute.