ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Mayor Marty Small Sr. of Atlantic City has been charged with witness tampering after allegedly urging his daughter to withdraw statements related to claims of abuse she reported to law enforcement. This information was disclosed by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, following a grand jury’s indictment handed down on Tuesday.
According to the indictment, the incidents in question occurred in September 2024, approximately six months after the initial abuse charges. It is claimed that Small requested his daughter to modify her previous account to police regarding the alleged abuse, specifically asking her to suggest that a head injury she sustained was the result of a fall in her bedroom.
Currently, the 50-year-old mayor is facing accusations of having struck his daughter multiple times with a broom during an alleged incident on January 13, which caused her to lose consciousness. Small maintains his innocence, asserting that the matter is a personal family issue and not a criminal matter.
Small’s attorney, Edwin Jacobs, criticized the indictment, describing it as a misguided attempt by the county prosecutor to encroach on the private discussions within Small’s family. He emphasized the principle that the legal system can easily manipulate grand juries.
Jacobs further noted that the daughter continues to reside in the family home with her parents. Alongside these developments, Small’s wife, La’Quetta Small, who serves as the city’s school superintendent, has been charged with child endangerment in connection with the same case, and she also claims innocence regarding the allegations.
Both individuals entered a not guilty plea during a court appearance on October 10 in response to the initial accusations. They face charges of child endangerment, with Marty Small also charged with assault and making terroristic threats. The allegations specify that both parents physically and emotionally abused their daughter, who was 15 to 16 years old during the incidents, stating that the abuse sometimes resulted in her losing consciousness.
Prosecutors revealed that the disapproval of their daughter’s boyfriend played a significant role in the family’s dynamics, as he reportedly recorded an event in which the mayor allegedly assaulted the girl both physically and verbally. The prosecution’s affidavit indicates that the girl at one stage admitted to fabricating the charges due to frustration over her parents’ restrictions regarding social outings. However, other parts of the disclosure included her detailed claims of real abuse, supported by evidence such as photographs of her bruises which she forwarded to her boyfriend, who in turn shared them with authorities.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office presented various evidence, including recordings of family interactions, statements made by the girl to police, school personnel, therapists, and child welfare officials. The investigation also took into account messages the girl sent to friends expressing her feelings of unsafety at home.