Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small found not guilty on all counts in child abuse trial
Atlantic City Marty Small speaks outside of courthouse after not guilty verdict in child abuse trial
A.C. Mayor Marty Small spoke to reporters outside of a courthouse Thursday morning after he was found not guilty on all counts in a child abuse trial.
ATLANTIC CITY - A jury on Thursday found Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small not guilty of all charges in a child abuse case surrounding his teenage daughter.
What we know:
Mayor Marty Small is facing charges of second-degree child endangerment, witness tampering, aggravated assault, and making terroristic threats.
Among the alleged abuse, the mayor is accused of beating his then-16-year-old daughter unconscious with a broom, punching her repeatedly in the legs and attempting to influence her testimony.
Prosecutors say that Small was offered a probationary deal in exchange for a guilty plea, which he declined.
Marty Small found not guilty on all charges
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small has been found not guilty on all charges related to his child abuse trial.
The defense for Mayor Small argues that the accusations are baseless and presented text messages and video evidence in court.
They claim the case is a disciplinary matter between caring parents and a rebellious teen.
The defense maintains that Small is being indicted for his parenting actions.
If found guilty of a third-degree crime or higher, he would be barred from serving his term as mayor.
The backstory:
Mayor Small and his wife, Dr. La'Quetta Small, who is the superintendent of Atlantic City Public Schools, are both charged with second-degree child endangerment.
The alleged abuse was reported by their daughter to school staff in 2023 and 2024.
The couple is being tried separately, with Dr. Small's trial set for January.
The Smalls have maintained their innocence thus far, claiming instead that it's a "private family matter that has been blown tremendously out of proportion."
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The teen's mother, La’Quetta Small, is accused of dragging her by her hair, punching her in the chest and face, and hitting her with a belt.
The couple previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of witness tampering, after being accused of pressuring their daughter into lying about the alleged abuse.
Small's lawyer, Edwin Jacobs, called the charge "sheer nonsense," adding that Small asked his daughter to tell the truth about what happened. That alleged request was made two days before a grand jury indicted the Smalls.
What court docs said
Dig deeper:
An affidavit filed by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office quotes the girl, whose name The Associated Press did not publish because she is the alleged victim of a crime, as telling child welfare authorities that her parents disapproved of her boyfriend. LaQuetta Small is also quoted as telling the same thing to a therapist who was made available to the girl after she reported abuse to school personnel.
The affidavit, first reported by the website breakingac.com, includes a transcript of dialogue between the Smalls and their daughter that were recorded by cell phones or laptops, apparently without the parents' knowledge.
But it also includes assertions that the girl told state child welfare investigators that she made up the allegations because she was angry at her parents. These claims were contradicted in the affidavit by text messages she sent to friends claiming she actually was being abused and did not feel safe at home.
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Several recordings involve an incident from Jan. 3 between Marty Small and his daughter, while she was talking to her boyfriend on a video chat.
"I'm scared," the girl whispers to her boyfriend, according to the transcript.
Using the girl's name, the mayor says, "Don't make me hurt you."
She replies, "Hurt me, that's all you do!"
The mayor orders his daughter to sit down, and she tells him to stop pushing her.
"I'm gonna hurt you," he says, threatening to throw her down a staircase. "Tell them. I don't care. What they gonna do to me? I'An affidavit filed by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office quotes the girl, whose name The Associated Press is not publishing because she is the alleged victim of a crime, as telling child welfare authorities that her parents disapproved of her boyfriend.
LaQuetta Small is also quoted as telling the same thing to a therapist who was made available to the girl after she reported abuse to school personnel.
What happened at trial?
What they're saying:
On the second day of trial, the prosecution's first key witness was his 17-year-old daughter, who testified about alleged physical abuse by her father.
Due to her age, no cameras or recordings were allowed in the courtroom.
Mayor Small's daughter alleged that her father assaulted her multiple times.
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She recounted an incident where she claimed he beat her with a broom until she passed out, and said her parents took her to the hospital three days later.
She also described another incident where she was punched in the legs after her father discovered inappropriate text messages between her and her boyfriend.
The prosecution presented videos of altercations between the teen and her parents, recorded by her boyfriend using FaceTime.
Photos of her alleged injuries were shown to the jury.
Defense challenges allegations
The other side:
The defense introduced evidence from the teen's initial statement to police, where she admitted to exaggerating her story and stated her initial claims about her injuries were not true.
The defense also questioned her about the broom incident, pointing out that hospital records showed no injuries, despite her claim of a concussion.
The defense further highlighted questioning from detectives where the teen said she felt safe at home and was just annoyed with her parents.
Hospital staff testimony
What they're saying:
On Day three of the trial, hospital staff members testified.
A nurse practitioner testified that during a January 2024 emergency room visit, the teen complained of headaches and chest pains.
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However, she told hospital staff she had been running with her brother and fell, not mentioning any broom incident.
Despite several tests, no injuries were found.
When directly asked if she was a victim of abuse, the teen indicated no.
Mayor Marty Small's testimony
What we know:
On day five of the trial, the mayor testified about his relationship with his daughter.
Mayor Small tearfully described his once-close relationship with his daughter, saying they were inseparable for the first 15 years of her life.
"Everywhere I would go, Jada was with me. We were inseparable. She meant the world to me and I would do anything to protect her," said Small.
The mayor shared his humble beginnings with the jury, emphasizing his and his wife's desire to provide their children with everything they could dream of.
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Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small took the stand on Friday in his trial in which he is facing accusations of child abuse involving his teenage daughter.
Mayor Small addresses allegations and daughter's boyfriend
During his testimony, Small claimed that his daughter's behavior changed after she met her boyfriend.
He stated that he discovered concerning text messages from the boyfriend and approached him, saying, "I said to him in a non-threatening manner, just as any parent would, the next time I see or hear you calling my daughter [expletives] you will never talk to her again."
Small accused the boyfriend of being mentally, emotionally, and physically abusive toward his daughter.
He also claimed to have found sexually explicit conversations and videos on her phone.
The mayor denied ever physically harming his daughter and demonstrated to the jury what happened during a fight involving a broom.
"I did not hit – I repeat – I did not hit my daughter with a broom," said Small
Closing arguments presented in court
What they're saying:
The prosecution began their closing argument by stating, "Abuse is not parenting."
They allege that the mayor's teenage daughter was fearful of her father due to physical abuse, including an incident where she was reportedly beaten with a broom.
Prosecutors presented photos of bruises on the teen's face and body as evidence.
The defense, however, urged the jury to find Small not guilty, calling the allegations false.
They argued that there was no physical evidence of abuse, such as marks or concussions, despite the teen's claims.
The defense also highlighted text messages from the teen to her mother, suggesting the allegations were an attempt at extortion.
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The defense's perspective
The other side:
Small's defense team emphasized his role as a city leader but stated, "He has no power here today... you do."
They argued that the case is not one of genuine child abuse, but rather "extortion by the child."
The defense presented statements from the teen to police, where she reportedly said, "No abuse. I'm mad. What I said is not true. I'm not abused. I don't get hit."
The prosecution countered by asserting that the evidence is against Small, describing him as a "career politician" trying to cover up his actions.
They claim the mayor asked his daughter to change her story, which she refused to do.
Jury deliberates case
What we know:
The jury in the trial began deliberating on Tuesday, December 16.
On Wednesday, the jury revisited audio recordings and sought clarity on legal definitions related to the charges against Mayor Small such as terms like willful neglect and aggravated assault.
They reached a not guilty verdict on all counts on Thursday, including charges of second degree abuse/neglect of a child, and third degree counts of Terroristic threats, aggravated assault, and witness tampering.
FOX 29's Jen Lee reports Small screamed out in the courtroom "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, jury" and burst into tears when the verdict was read.