New Jersey State Assemblyman Arthur Barclay has resigned from his post citing health concerns.Local Republican lawmakers are wondering why it took 11 days to see a resignation after assault charges were filed against Barclay.On Tuesday, Camden County Democratic Committee Chairman James Beach issued the following Statement:"Effective immediately, Assemblyman Arthur Barclay has resigned as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly for health reasons. The county committee members of the Fifth Legislative District will convene in the next 8 to 10 days to fill the vacancy created by the resignation. "Back on June 7, Camden police responded to a domestic abuse call on the 2700 block of Constitution road. Barclay was arrested that night. "I don't know what goes on behind closed doors over there; it's just when you see police going you know something is going on," said neighbor Mechelle James.Sources said when police arrived to the home they encountered a woman who said she was punched in the face by Barclay, a former Camden City Councilman.Less than two weeks after the simple assault charge against him, the Associated Press reported Barclay is resigning from the 5th Legislative District because of health issues.Neighbors who were surprised by the charges against him spoke to his character. "He's a very nice man," said neighbor Bobby Johnson. "A good person. I hope he's different, learned his lesson. Even if it cost him his job, you have to learn the lesson not to put your hands on a woman. "Barclay will appear back in court June 28.His successor will be chosen by Democratic party officials in the two counties he represented until a special election come November.------<doc-sep>CAMDEN - Arthur Barclay, a state assemblyman and former Camden High School basketball standout, has resigned his legislator position days after he was charged with simple assault during a domestic incident. Camden County Democratic Party Chairman James Beach announced Monday evening that Barclay stepped down “effective immediately … for health reasons.” The resignation came on the same day that the Courier-Post and other news outlets reported Barclay's arrest. According to an arrest report obtained by the Courier-Post, Camden County Police responded to a report of a domestic violence crime on June 7 at a home in the 2700 block of Constitution Avenue in the city's Fairview section. Barclay is accused of using a closed fist to punch a woman in the face, according to court papers. The victim was bleeding from her face and nose when officers arrived and had swelling below her left eye, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by police. According to the arrest report, officers responded to the domestic incident at 7:17 p.m. More:What you need to know now as Phil Murphy, Democrats fight over taxes More:Camden High: When home isn't the Castle Barclay, who was at the home when police arrived, was arrested for "simple assault domestic violence," fingerprinted and released on his own recognizance after a bail hearing. He's scheduled to appear in municipal court on June 28. Barclay did not respond to calls for comment. His spokesman, Cameron Hudson, said simply, "Wow," when reached by a reporter Monday evening before the resignation. He indicated he had no knowledge of the arrest but would look into it further. The political website New Jersey Globe reported Barclay said "It happened. I don’t want to talk about it. It is what it is. It happened. I just want to move forward.” Beach said the Camden County Democratic Committee will meet in the next eight to 10 days to fill the vacancy created by Barclay’s resignation. The announcement made no mention of the arrest and did not specify what health issues prompted the sudden resignation. Dan Keashen, a spokesman for the county and for the police department, confirmed Barclay is employed by Camden County. "In follow-up, we were just made aware of the incident, which will be investigated by human resources as a personnel matter," Keashen added Monday evening. According to a biography on his state Legislature page, Barclay is a supervisor in the county's Department of Events and Community Outreach, a $59,532-a-year position. The 5th Legislative District Democrat also made $49,000 annually as a member of the state Assembly. A city native, Barclay had been an assemblyman representing parts of Camden and Gloucester counties since 2016. He was a member of Camden City Council from 2014 to 2016. A former Camden High basketball star, he volunteered as a coach on the boys' team. "This type of behavior is unacceptable under any circumstances," said U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, a Democrat. "Assemblyman Barclay did the appropriate thing by resigning." Barclay, 36, served as deputy majority whip in the Assembly and was vice chair of its Law and Public Safety Committee. He was a primary sponsor of one bill pending in the Legislature that addresses domestic violence. Bill No. A-427 would establish a mandatory training program for human resources staff who work for public employers and handle employees’ domestic violence reports. The training program would include “information concerning the impact of domestic violence on society” and “the dynamics of domestic violence.” And in February, Barclay said in a Facebook post that he was "proud to support a package of bills heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee that will increase protections for victims of domestic violence an issue near and dear to my heart." Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said in a statement Monday evening: “I am appalled to learn of Assemblyman Barclay’s actions. It is my understanding that he is doing the right thing and will resign from the General Assembly immediately.” Barclay's departure may complicate efforts to pass a state budget by the June 30 deadline. Democrats in the Legislature have clashed with Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration on tax proposals in the budget, and each vote could prove decisive. Camden County Republican Party officials questioned why Barclay waited 11 days after his arrest before resigning his post in the Legislature. “While we hate to be cynics,” political consultant Steve Kush said in a Camden County GOP news release, “one has to wonder if there was an attempt to keep this arrest quiet because of what will likely be an extremely close budget vote.” James Nash of NorthJersey.com contributed to this story. Phaedra Trethan: @CP_Phaedra; 856-486-2417; ptrethan@gannettnj.com. Also in South Jersey<doc-sep>
TRENTON — A South Jersey Assembly Democrat has resigned his seat effective immediately amid accusations of domestic violence. But a statement from Camden County Democratic Committee Chairman James Beach said Assemblyman Arthur Barclay was stepping down for "health reasons." "The county committee members of the Fifth Legislative District will convene in the next 8 to 10 days to fill the vacancy created by the resignation," Committee Chairman James Beach said. The 36-year-old was a deputy Assembly whip in his first term. He faced a simple assault domestic violence charge from an incident on June 7, and is due in court on June 28, according to a police report posted by the New Jersey Globe political site. “I am appalled to learn of Assemblyman Barclay’s actions. It is my understanding that he is doing the right thing and will resign from the General Assembly immediately," Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said in a statement. Unnamed sources told the news site that Barclay broke his girlfriend's nose when he punched her in the face. The 6-foot-8-inch Barclay graduated from Camden High School in 2000 and was captain of the basketball team that won an NJSIAA championship. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis. The Assemblyman posted on his Twitter account a message titled "food for thought" on Monday. "It is okay if it takes awhile to get through all of this," the message read. "It is okay if it takes a while for your story to start to make sense because this is the very nature of a mountain never climbed. It is never easy to get over but it gets possible with time." It's not clear if the words are his his original composition.