Assault charge against Neptune business administrator dismissed, expungement granted

NEPTUNE - The simple assault charge filed against Neptune Township Business Administrator Gina LaPlaca in Lumberton, where she serves as deputy mayor, has been dismissed and she was granted an expungement, removing her October arrest from her record.

LaPlaca handles day-to-day operations in Neptune as a paid employee. She lives in Lumberton, where she serves as an elected member of its Township Committee. She was arrested at her home in late October after a domestic incident resulted in LaPlaca being accused of assaulting her husband, political activist Jason Carty.

On Dec. 5 in Burlington County Superior Court, with Judge Mark Tarantino acting as a conflict municipal court judge for Lumberton Township, the prosecutor moved to dismiss all charges against LaPlaca due to insufficient evidence. She was also granted an expedited expungement.

The charges against Carty remain in administrative hold for the next 90 days; there are court-mandated evaluations, counseling and proofs he will need to provide during that time.

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"Gina dedicates countless hours to the community, she works harder than anyone I know, she’s a great mom and a loving person. She should be recognized for her accomplishments and not be villainized for something of a private personal nature that was not her fault," Carty said. "I accept full responsibility for this incident. Regardless of alcohol and medication dosage issues contributing to my erratic behavior, I am accountable for my actions and this incident was 100% my fault."

He added that LaPlaca "simply did the right thing and called 911 when she felt threatened by my behavior. Her character should not be attacked for doing the right thing and protecting herself.”

"I am obviously relieved by this outcome and was confident throughout the matter that I would ultimately be exonerated, even as this is a position in which I should never have been placed to begin with," LaPlaca said. "Throughout the last six weeks I have learned the hard truth that even in a state as progressive as New Jersey, there are still some very large gaps in the safety net for domestic violence victims."

She added that "it is only because of the knowledge and resources I have at my disposal that I was fortunately very well-versed in my rights as a domestic violence victim and able to understand how the system works.

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"I have grave concerns for the overall lack of security and confidentiality provided to domestic violence victims," she continued. "Within 24 hours of a very traumatic and deeply personal incident at my home, media outlets were already soliciting myself and my employer for comments about the matter, and it is clear that there are serious leaks in the system that need to be addressed. My personal safety, my employment and my reputation were all put at risk because someone believed that my status as a public servant entitled them to put the most painful moments of my private live on public display.

"I have been retraumatized in so many ways since the incident, and have been subjected to persistent harassment and even stalking since the October 27th incident, and while I hope that my exoneration finally quells that, I am honestly not hopeful given the sheer awfulness I have had to experience."

LaPlaca was first elected to the Township Committee in Lumberton in Burlington County in 2020 and was reelected to her township committee seat in last month's elections, following the news of the arrest.

Her husband apologized for the incident and subsequent response.

”Words cannot express how sorry I am for the pain and embarrassment this ordeal has caused our family. My actions hurt Gina’s reputation and cast her in a negative light that is unfair to someone who has done so much for our community," Carty said. "Things that remain private for the average citizen were weaponized and used to attack Gina because she is an elected official, a public servant and simply because she is a woman.Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Neptune NJ administrator assault charge dismissed, record expunged