MIDDLETOWN, N.J. — Joe Fitzgerald, a Middletown Board of Education member was released from jail following his arrest in a weapons-related incident that stemmed from an alleged extramarital affair according to court documents reviewed Tuesday.
Fitzgerald, identified in the document as a 46-year-old man with limited criminal history, was arrested after reportedly driving to confront another man involved in the love triangle with multiple weapons in his vehicle, including a loaded and unsecured handgun. The confrontation was prompted by the alleged affair, which led her to contact the other party’s spouse before the incident occurred.
“While the court is concerned with the nature and circumstances of the offenses charged, the other factors weigh in favor of release,” the court stated, citing the defendant’s compliance with law enforcement and lack of significant prior offenses.
The court noted that the State’s case included inconsistent accounts of the events, and the defendant’s wife had filed a temporary restraining order and submitted a formal statement. The defendant also gave his own statement to law enforcement at the scene.
Fitzgerald has no other pending charges or prior domestic violence history, with only two prior misdemeanors from out-of-state DUI/DPT charges in 2006 and 2002, both described as minor and unclassified. It was also noted this is his first interaction with the criminal justice system in New Jersey.
His role on the Middletown Board of Education and “significant ties to the community” were highlighted as factors in the decision to release him pending trial under state bail reform guidelines.
The court found no clear evidence that pretrial detention was necessary to ensure public safety or the defendant’s appearance in court.
Fitzgerald has since been released from the Monmouth County Jail, according to inmate records.
