Atlantic City, NJ – Mayor Marty Small Sr. was acquitted last week of charges that he assaulted and verbally abused his teenage daughter, ending a high-profile case that he called politically motivated.
A jury found the 51-year-old mayor not guilty Thursday on counts of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and endangering the welfare of a child after more than a week of testimony. His wife, La’Quetta Small, 48, who faces separate charges of child endangerment, still has an active case.
The allegations stemmed from multiple incidents in December 2023 and January 2024. Prosecutors had accused Small of striking his daughter with a broom and threatening to harm her during arguments, while alleging that his wife also struck and dragged the girl. Both denied the accusations, and Small maintained throughout the proceedings that the charges were driven by political opposition.
Following his acquittal, the mayor celebrated outside the courthouse with supporters and said the verdict represented a victory for the entire city.
“The entire Atlantic City was on trial, and this is a win for everyone,” Small told reporters.
He also made remarks about his family, saying he intended to restore order at home.
“My daughter’s lost right now, but like I said, when we win this case, we’re gonna get things back on track as the man of the house,” Small said.
Small, a Democrat first elected mayor in 2019 after serving 15 years on the city council, was reelected while under indictment. His wife, who became Atlantic City Schools superintendent in 2022, remains under investigation.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small was found not guilty of assaulting his daughter, while his wife’s related case is still pending.