[OPINION] The Man Who Can Save Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small

2025 will be a critical year in the life of Atlantic City, New Jersey Mayor Marty Small.

This comment has nothing to do with his political future. Hanging in the balance in the new year is whether Small will remain a free man.

It doesn’t get any more serious than that in the game of life. The same holds true for his wife, La’Quetta Small, the Atlantic City Superintendent of Public Schools.

Both Marty and La’Quetta Small have been indicted by an Atlantic County Grand Jury on a variety of serious criminal child abuse charges.

A second Atlantic County Grand Jury has separately indicted Marty Small for witness tampering.

At this point, Marty Small has no power to save himself. The only person who can save him is the highly regarded Edwin J. Jacobs, Jr., Esquire.

Jacobs is considered by many to be “The G.O.A.T.” when it comes to criminal defense attorneys in New Jersey.

Jacobs has previously twice saved Marty Small, when he faced a variety of criminal indictments and Jacobs prevailed at two separate jury trials in Atlantic County, New Jersey.

The state of New Jersey believed that it had two slam dunk cases against Marty Small.

Ed Jacobs and Steve Funk annihilated the state of New Jersey in both trials, with Marty Small being acquitted both times.

Jacobs’ pedigree is unmatched in New Jersey criminal defense law history.

Here a few of Ed Jacobs’ headliner cases through the years:

U.S. v. Salvatore Avena. Averna was an attorney who faced 40 years in prison. The FBI had hours of recordings.
U.S. v: Merlino, 349F.3d 144 (3'd Cir.
2003). In June of 1999, Philadelphia Mob Boss Joey "Skinny" Merlino was indicated on 36 counts involving murder and conspiracy to murder, violent crime in aid of racketeering, extortion and conspiracy to extort, the operation of illegal sports bookmaking businesses, and thefts of goods in interstate commerce. Merlino is quoted as saying, "Ain't bad, better than the death penalty."
U.S. v. Ligambi (Criminal Action No. 09-
00496-01). The FBI and the Philadelphia Office of the United States Attorney investigated the Philadelphia Mob and its purported boss Joe Ligambi for 14 years. Jacobs prevailed at two trials and the federal government did not pursue a third trial.
- U.S. v. Parrella, et al. The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York secured a racketeering Indictment against 76 defendants, all claimed to be members or associates of one of several organized crime families in New York City, Philadelphia and the State of Florida. The only one who went to trial was Joey Merlino, who Jacobs represented. Jacobs negotiated an agreement that resulted in only a few months of incarceration for Merlino.

Jacobs has earned a reputation for winning on the biggest stages.

Marty Small is trying to win an acquittal for a 3rd time. Unlike many defendants, Small doesn’t take deals … he goes all the way to trial and is willing to place his freedom in the hands of an Atlantic County Jury.

Atlantic County Prosecutor Will Reynolds has volumes of electronic evidence … in the form of video, audio, text messages and more.

Jacobs is currently in the process of trying to get this evidence tossed.

Reynolds is already much more prepared than the state of New Jersey was in the first two Small criminal trials.

And, for the 3rd straight time … Small has Jacobs as his lead criminal defense legal counsel.

Without Jacobs, the legal net is cast wide and tight around Smalls’ neck.

Only Jacobs can save Small this time. Small faces much more serious charges this time versus the previous two times.

This should all take place during 2025.

Below are some Don Hurley, Ed Jacobs and Marty Small photos.

Don Hurley photos.

Ed Jacobs photos.