Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. was indicted this week for witness tampering, a charge stemming from allegations that he asked his teenage daughter to change her account of abuse to law enforcement.
The December 17, 2024, indictment adds to a series of legal challenges for the mayor and his wife, La’Quetta Small, who face multiple charges of assault and child endangerment.
According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the indictment alleges that in September 2024, Small, 50, requested his daughter to “twist up” a statement she made to investigators regarding injuries she sustained on January 13.
Prosecutors claim the mayor asked his daughter to state that her head injury occurred due to a fall in her bedroom, despite prior allegations that he struck her multiple times with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness.
The indictment follows original charges filed earlier this year accusing both Marty and La’Quetta Small of physically and emotionally abusing their daughter, who was 15 and 16 years old during the alleged incidents.
The charges include claims of physical assault, threats, and emotional manipulation.
Small’s attorney, Edwin Jacobs, dismissed the indictment as baseless, asserting that it reflects a “clumsy effort” by the prosecutor to interfere in family matters.
“When a parent encourages a child to be accurate and truthful in statements to investigators, that parent is not witness tampering,” Jacobs said. He described the charge as an attempt to “grab headlines” and undermine the mayor’s relationship with his daughter.
Jacobs further noted that the girl continues to reside with her parents and emphasized inconsistencies in her statements, including a previous acknowledgment that she fabricated some allegations out of frustration.
The original charges detail a series of incidents, including one in which Small allegedly struck his daughter with a broom, and another where he reportedly grabbed her head and threatened to throw her down the stairs.
Prosecutors allege La’Quetta Small also physically assaulted the teenager, including dragging her by the hair and hitting her with a belt, leaving visible marks.
Court documents indicate that the allegations came to light through a combination of the girl’s statements to authorities, messages to friends, and evidence provided by her boyfriend, who recorded an alleged instance of abuse.
Both Marty and La’Quetta Small pleaded not guilty to the original charges in October. The latest indictment adds a third-degree witness tampering charge to the mayor’s legal battles.
The case has sparked significant public attention in Atlantic City, where Marty Small has served as mayor since 2019, and La’Quetta Small holds the position of superintendent of schools.
Both maintain their innocence and describe the situation as a private family matter.
The legal proceedings against Atlantic City’s mayor have drawn scrutiny to the city’s leadership and raised questions about the impact of the allegations on the community.
The outcome of the case remains uncertain as both sides prepare for further court proceedings.
Small became mayor in 2019, following the resignation of Frank Gilliam, who admitted to stealing money from a youth basketball league he ran.
Small was endorsed for the Democratic nomination for mayor by U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Gov. Phil Murphy, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, and former Gov. Richard Codey in a tough 2020 primary contest against Pamela Thomas-Fields, who had the support of local Atlantic City Democrats, and James Whitehead.