DEAL - Months after an Asbury Park police officer was arrested on a domestic violence charge at a country club wedding, his case has vanished from the court record, leaving the public to wonder about the details and outcome of the simple assault charge.

The case apparently was dismissed in October, according to a summary obtained from the state's municipal court database that month. But by January, the Asbury Park Press found no trace of the arrest charge or the outcome of the case.

Secrecy involving the review of incidents involving police officers is common in New Jersey, the Asbury Park Press's "Protecting the Shield" series on police accountability found last year. The outcome — even the charge — in the officer's case disappeared from public court records.

Law enforcement and court officials won't talk about the case. And while the county prosecutor is responsible for reviewing domestic violence claims involving police officers, it's unclear if that happened following the officer's arrest last year.

City Patrolman Terrence McGhee, 36, was arrested and charged with domestic violence simple assault for "attempting to cause bodily injury" by "striking the victim with an open hand to the face and shoving her backward, causing her to stumble" during a July wedding in the borough, according to a police report obtained by the Press in October.

No official connected with the case would comment on the outcome after January. It is unclear if the charges were dropped by the woman, the prosecutor or the court.

Scroll to the bottom to see documents related to this case.

McGhee may have had his record expunged, which in the eyes of the law means the charge never happened. But experts say an expungement of court records in less than six months is unheard of in New Jersey.

Even "immediate" expungements, which a person is eligible for only when charges are dropped outright, aren't that fast, said Allan Morain, a Middlesex County expungement attorney.

Several attempts to reach McGhee were unsuccessful. It is unknown who his attorney was for the court hearing.

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According to the Deal Police report, the "fight" involved "approximately 10 subjects" in the parking lot of Deal Golf and Country Club on July 21 during a wedding. The bride was a relative of McGhee's, records show.

McGhee was arrested by Deal Patrolman Daniel Lokerson, who was dispatched to the scene immediately after the 911 call at about 10:50 p.m. The arrest was reviewed by Lt. William Hulse, the report indicated. Six officers in total responded to the scene, which was also described as an "altercation" in the report.

"A female victim" from the country club was taken to Deal Police headquarters at about 11:07 p.m., according to the police report. A male was also taken at about 11:12 p.m. with the notation "10-41," which according to the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office means "domestic."

Two other officers were out in the field talking with a "subject stating he was involved in an altercation" at 11:27 p.m., according to the report.

Municipal Court Judge Scott Basen released McGhee from custody on his own recognizance that night, the report stated.

The public will probably never know what happened to McGhee for two reasons: the internal affairs review process is secret and his public court record was likely expunged.

There’s no other lawful way for the public records to be treated by authorities as if they don’t exist.

McGhee, of Hazlet, was sworn into the Asbury Park Police Department in 2015. He had a base salary of $49,528 in 2017, according to payroll records.

Under review

McGhee was put on administrative duty while his case was under review by the Asbury Park Police's internal affairs department, city Sgt. Michael Casey said in October.

Casey couldn't comment if McGhee's service weapon was taken, which is part of internal affairs protocol when an officer is accused of domestic violence. Casey said he knew the prosecutor's office was involved, but didn't know if the incident triggered the county's early warning system, a step that would have led to a review of McGhee by the county prosecutor's office.

According to the police report, Assistant Prosecutor Barbara Suppa was notified the night of the incident.

When an officer is involved in a domestic violence incident, both the employing department and the prosecutor's office are required to take steps to determine whether the officer is fit for duty, as required by the attorney general's guidelines.

Furthermore, following the murder of Tamara Wilson-Seidle by her husband, a Neptune police sergeant, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni implemented an early warning system that requires officers involved in any kind of domestic violence incident — regardless of whether there were charges or who the victim is — to be reviewed by his office.

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Chris Swendeman, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, told the Press in October that their office was notified of McGhee's arrest, but it did not trigger the early warning system for a full review of the officer.

When an officer is involved in an incident that rises to the level of a potential crime, the prosecutor is notified, according to attorney general guidelines. Most cases heard in municipal court, including simple assault, are not considered a crime and do not involve the prosecutor's office.

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"The primary responsibility for investigating the domestic violence incident itself, along with related offenses, belongs to the agency with jurisdiction over the incident," Swendeman said. "The employing agency’s internal affairs officers are responsible for documenting the matter."

In October, Swendeman said the charges against McGhee were dismissed in Deal, so there was "nothing to comment on."

In January, after the apparent expungement of the records, Swendeman declined to elaborate on the incident saying "the only comment the office has is that there's no record of information."

A statewide early warning system that targets domestic violence claims against police officers was also implemented by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal in 2018, following a recommendation in the Press' "Protecting the Shield" police accountability series.

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According to Grewal's directive on early warning systems, if three "performance indicators" — which includes domestic violence — are triggered in a 12-month period, the officer will be reviewed.

The county prosecutor's office also reviewed McGhee's actions in 2016, when a bullet he fired entered a home on Borden Avenue in Asbury Park and grazed the head of an 8-year-old girl watching TV in her mother's bedroom.

Authorities found that the use of his gun was justified — he was chasing a suspect who shot at him — and McGhee was cleared.

Missing records

Since November, the Press had been trying to obtain a tape of McGhee's Oct. 3 court proceeding and a copy of case documents filed in Deal Municipal Court, where the incident was purportedly adjudicated.

Through a public records request, the Press in October obtained a police report from Deal with details about the arrest. A case summary obtained in October through the state's municipal court database showed that the case was disposed, meaning it's no longer active, and the charge dismissed, but did not include details about the nature of the dismissal.

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By January, the court case summary was no longer available through the municipal court database.

Morain, the expungement attorney, said if McGhee's record was expunged, it's the "quickest immediate expungement" he's ever heard of.

"Normally, they drag on and on," he said.

Those convicted or found not guilty can be granted an expungement after a waiting period ranging from two to five years, depending on the charge, according to state law. Immediate expungements are supposed to be faster because there's no waiting period after the charge is dismissed, but it's still processed like the rest, he said.

Morain said there's at least a five- to seven-month backlog of expungements waiting to be processed with the New Jersey State Police — the agency that's responsible for officially correcting records and updating the FBI's National Crime Information Center.

After more than two weeks of emails and phone calls requesting confirmation of the backlog and information about the expungement process, the State Police said they were "still working on it."

"It's not plausible to get an immediate expungement completed in three months," Morain said. "The expungement process is a disgrace."

Kala Kachmar: @NewsQuip; 732-643-4061; kkachmar@gannettnj.com

Andrew Ford: @AndrewFordNews; 732-685-4634; aford3@gannettnj.com