Another Atlantic City, NJ Mayor Marty Small Criminal Trial Is Coming

Much like various legal controlling authorities provide the public with status reports on high profile cases … we want to take this opportunity to share this update regarding the criminal charges faced by both Atlantic City, New Jersey Mayor Marty Small and his wife La’Quetta  Small.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office raided the Smalls’ residence on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

Atlantic County Prosecutor Will Reynolds has earned a reputation as a long-time local prosecutor for being both measured and fair.

Reynolds has also earned a reputation for not overreaching.

It is inconceivable to me that Reynolds would seek a search warrant from a judge, unless he had compelling probable cause that a crime or crimes had been committed.

I also believe that a judge would not have granted the search warrant without convincing probable cause.

The raid of the Small’s home took place on the same day that the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office publicly revealed that Constance Days-Chapman was charged with a number of serious criminal charges.

Days-Chapman is a close confidant of Marty and La’Quetta Small.

Days-Chapman served as the campaign manager for Marty Small’s last mayoral campaign.

Days-Chapman is the principal of Atlantic City High School. She is presently suspended from her position following these serious criminal charges against her being announced:

• second-degree Official Misconduct.
• third-degree Hindering Apprehension of Another.
• fourth-degree Obstruction of Justice.
• disorderly persons Failure to Report Child Abuse.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the charges were placed on a summons.

Here is what the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office is alleging regarding Days-Chapman. The charges and their narrative about Days-Chapman is monstrous.

On January 22, 2024, a juvenile student at the high school informed a school staff member that the student had been emotionally and physically abused by the student's parents and that the student had previously disclosed this abuse to Mrs. Days-Chapman. The school staff member discussed the matter with Days-Chapman later that same day. Days-Chapman denied that the student ever disclosed the abuse to her previously but told the school staffer that she would report the matter to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P, formerly known as DYFS).  Both the staffer and another eyewitness to the conversation believed that Days-Chapman was going to notify the authorities as they were leaving her office. The other eyewitness even told Days-Chapman that she (the eyewitness) would notify DCP&P, but that Days-Chapman insisted that she would make the notification. Later that evening, Days-Chapman met with the juvenile's parents at the parents' house and informed them that the juvenile disclosed to school staff that the juvenile was being abused by them. DCP&P confirmed that there was no disclosure reported to them regarding the abuse of the juvenile from Days-Chapman or any other member of the staff from Atlantic City High School. This incident was investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office's Special Victims Unit and the Professional Standards and Accountability Unit.

At that time, The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office did not publicly confirmed if the criminal charges against Days-Chapman were connected to the raid of the Small’s family home.

On Monday, April 1, 2024 with his criminal defense attorney Edwin Jacobs … Marty Small conducted a disastrous press conference.

Even though both small and Jacobs both maintained that the criminal matter does not pertain to Small’s position as mayor … they held the press conference at Atlantic City Hall in City.

Read More: April Fools’ Day Press Conference with Atlantic City, NJ, Mayor

Jacobs has impressively saved Marty Small’s freedom and political career twice in the past.

Jacobs crushed the state of New Jersey in 2006 and 2009, winning not guilty verdicts on all counts on behalf of his client Marty Small.

Jacobs was great and the state was unprepared and beyond terrible in their performance at both Small trials.

Jacobs has been practicing law for more than 53 years and many regard Jacobs as the most successful criminal defense attorney in Atlantic City area history.

Time will tell if a 3rd Marty Small criminal trial will occur. It appears very likely that it will.

If past is prologue, Small will never accept a plea deal of any kind.

Small has demonstrated his willingness to go all in. If he has to do criminal trial “battle,” again … he has chosen the right counselor in Ed Jacobs.

Jacobs is the master at both delay and at trial management itself. Jacobs also has employed phenomenal investigators on his team over the years.

You can expect this case to take between 18 months and 2 years. It shouldn’t … but, it will.

On April 15, 2024, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office charged both Marty and La’Quetta Small with the following:

MARTY SMALL is criminally charged with:

• 2nd degree endangering the welfare of a child.
• 3rd degree aggravated assault
• 3rd degree terroristic threats
• disorderly persons simple assault.

LA'QUETTA SMALL is criminally charged with:

• 2nd degree endangering the welfare of a child.
• 3 separate counts of disorderly persons simple assault.

Marty and La’Quetta Smalls’ next court appearance will be on July 15, 2024. They previously waived a June 15, 2024 court appearance.

While nothing is confirmed, it is likely that Marty and La’Quetta Small would have a joint trial together and

Constance Days-Chapman would have a separate trial… if no plea deals are reached in these matters.