Gina LaPlaca, who served as mayor of Lumberton Township through 2025 and now sits on the township committee, pleaded guilty Monday to driving under the influence and a fourth-degree child abuse charge tied to a March 2025 traffic stop. Under a court deal she was placed into a three-year Pretrial Intervention program that links her continued freedom to treatment, monitoring and a list of other conditions.
Plea, program and vehicle monitoring
LaPlaca was sentenced to three years of supervision under New Jersey’s Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program and must attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and follow any requirements from the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency, according to FOX 29. Judge Craig A. Ambrose also ordered an ignition interlock device on her vehicle. Prosecutors say LaPlaca told the court she had already installed one in October 2025. The plea lets her avoid jail time as long as she sticks to the PTI terms.
How the March 2025 stop unfolded
Prosecutors say the case started after a motorist recorded LaPlaca’s vehicle swerving across the center line and nearly hitting a utility pole on St. Patrick’s Day 2025, which led officers to review the footage and then contact her at her home, as reported by CBS News. Lumberton police found an open alcoholic container in the car and LaPlaca’s young child strapped into a rear car seat. The department later recorded her blood-alcohol concentration at .30%, well over New Jersey’s .08 legal limit. The March stop eventually resulted in a grand-jury indictment late last year.
Treatment and a public apology
Court records and reporting indicate LaPlaca completed an intensive treatment program in May 2025, then took part in outpatient care before returning to her township duties. In a statement she posted to social media, she apologized to residents and said, "The weight of my actions is something I carry deeply," adding that she is "fully committed to my recovery," according to FOX 29.
Political fallout at town hall
LaPlaca served as Lumberton’s mayor through 2025 under the committee’s rotating system, and Terrance Benson was sworn in as mayor this year while LaPlaca continues to serve as a township committeewoman, as reported by New Jersey Globe. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office returned a grand-jury indictment in November 2025 charging her with endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse, according to a county press release at burlpros.org.
Legal consequences if she violates the program
Under PTI, participants avoid prosecution on the covered charges while they comply with the program’s requirements. Prosecutors have warned that if LaPlaca fails to comply she could be removed from PTI and prosecuted on the original child-abuse charge, according to FOX 29. That would send her back into the usual criminal process for fourth-degree child abuse and any related driving offenses.
Township officials did not immediately comment on whether they will pursue additional action against LaPlaca, and prosecutors said they will monitor her compliance with PTI. Local outlets report that residents and township leaders will be watching as LaPlaca works through the program and treatment milestones, which will decide whether the case stays in diversion or heads back to court, per Patch.
