Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. (D) is upholding his innocence regarding the various claims that he physically and emotionally mistreated his teenage daughter. 

In April of last year, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office accused Small, 51, of second-degree child endangerment. The mayor faced charges for making third-degree terroristic threats, engaging in third-degree aggravated assault, and a disorderly persons simple assault. 

Small's spouse, Dr. La’Quetta Small, 48, was similarly charged with second-degree endangerment of a child's welfare, along with three counts of disorderly persons simple assault. 

Prosecutors claim that the Smalls inflicted physical and emotional abuse on their 15/16-year-old daughter from December 2023 through January 2024. Authorities assert that the mayor struck his daughter several times with a broomstick, including one occasion that caused her to lose consciousness. He’s also accused of threatening to “knock the weave out” of her hair and push her down a set of stairs. 

In November, the accusations against Small escalated with a witness tampering claim after prosecutors indicated there was proof to imply that the mayor instructed his daughter to retract her earlier statements to law enforcement. 

Mayor Stays Innocent 

On Thursday, Small appeared in Atlantic County’s Superior Court and entered a not guilty plea to the charge of witness tampering. Atlantic County Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Fischer informed Judge Bernard DeLury that the evidence will demonstrate that the mayor requested his daughter to "twist" the narrative and "do him a kindness." 

Small’s lawyer, Jordan Barbone, denied the accusations.

"A father who explains to his child the value of being truthful is only guilty of good parenting, not witness tampering,” Barbone said. “Small entered his plea of not guilty because he is completely innocent.”

Later on Thursday, Small and his spouse attended court for a status hearing regarding their initial charges. In October, they claimed innocence. If found guilty on all counts, the Smalls could face several years behind bars and penalties reaching $150K. 

Prosecutors claim that Mrs. Small struck her daughter several times in the chest, causing bruising. The accusations also claim that she pulled her daughter by her hair in a separate incident. 

Reports indicate that the boyfriend of the teen captured the abuse through Facetime. 

Government Regulation 

The majority of Atlantic City’s governance still lies under the state’s authority. In June 2021, Governor Phil Murphy (D) prolonged the takeover that started during Chris Christie’s (R) administration in 2010 for an additional four years. 

The acquisition was intended to control the city's escalating costs, elevated taxes, inadequate governance, and various persistent financial issues. The state holds significant authority in the coastal gaming city, such as negotiating union agreements, hiring and dismissing municipal staff, trading city properties, and supervising the activities of the Atlantic City Council. 

Although he did not mention Atlantic City in his State of the State address this week, Murphy remarked in September that “Mayor Small ought to think about whether he can still effectively serve the residents of Atlantic City.” 

Small responded by telling reporters that “the governor clearly didn’t say I should step down.” He added that his administration is “doing a great job” and that he has “all the love, respect, and support from the people of Atlantic City.”