The latest move in an escalating dispute with the county prosecutor came as Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson wrote to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. He urged her to intervene and warned of mounting legal costs and potential financial exposure for taxpayers.
In the March 27 letter to the attorney general, Levinson detailed a series of legal actions involving Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds and called for a review of the situation.
“I’d like to make sure you are aware of the current circumstances surrounding Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds,” Levinson wrote.
The executive then continued on, recapping the monthslong discourse between Reynolds and local officials, including one filed lawsuit by the prosecutor, and multiple tort claims warning of others.
Those named include County Administrator Gerald Del Rosso, County Counsel Lynne Hughes, Assistant Counsel Arthur Murray and Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, among others.
Traditionally, county counsel represents the prosecutor and county officials, but the dispute has forced both to retain outside counsel after Reynolds questioned whether county attorneys could provide unbiased representation.
Levinson said the county has also had to hire outside counsel for labor arbitrations involving prosecutor’s office employees, adding to what he described as “unnecessary and unanticipated expenses.”
“My concern is the expense to our taxpayers of the use of outside counsel for as long as these issues remain unresolved,” he wrote.
Mediation sessions have been held since Feb. 9, with additional meetings on Feb. 25 and March 6.
As of Tuesday, April 7, no decision had been made on whether mediation would continue or litigation would proceed.
The conflict stems from fallout surrounding the high-profile child-abuse case against Mayor Small, who was acquitted in December. Charges against his wife, Superintendent La’Quetta Small, and Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Days-Chapman were later dismissed.
Reynolds has alleged that local officials attempted to interfere with prosecutorial decisions. In a tort claim notice filed March 18, he accused multiple officials of conspiring to undermine his office and pressure him to drop cases, seeking $1 million in damages for emotional distress and harm to his career.
The filing claims officials used public statements, budgetary pressure and direct outreach to influence the handling of the prosecutions. It also alleges threats were made regarding his position if cases were not dismissed.
Local officials have denied those claims, with Levinson previously calling any damages “self-inflicted.”
Levinson told Shore Local that his goal is not to dictate outcomes, but to ensure the Prosecutor’s Office is focused on public safety.
“I’m not hoping for anything except that I want the prosecutor’s office to do what they’re supposed to do, and that’s go after bad guys and make us safe,” he said, adding that any personnel decisions are outside his authority.
Levinson emphasized that the prosecutor does not report to the county government, but instead operates under the attorney general.
“He is not my employee,” Levinson said. “He does not take instruction from me.”
He also raised concerns about what he called an outdated, politically influenced appointment process for county prosecutors, pointing to the role of gubernatorial appointments and “senatorial courtesy.”
On the financial side, Levinson said he could not yet quantify the total cost of outside counsel but questioned why it was necessary.
“I have the most competent counsel in the state of New Jersey,” he said, referring to Hughes and Murray, who traditionally would represent both the county and constitutional officers, including the prosecutor. “The prosecutor has 50 assistant prosecutors lawyers on his payroll. Why the taxpayer has to pay extra for outside counsel is beyond me.”
Levinson also warned that taxpayers could ultimately bear the cost of any future lawsuits stemming from the dismissed prosecutions, noting the county’s history of costly settlements.
“What I can say is this: I am doing my job. I am following my oath of office and following the constitution of the state of New Jersey, and it is my job to watch over the funds, the tax money, and it’s a tough thing to do when they’re not your employee,” he said.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Levinson said he remains open to resolving the matter without litigation.
“Anytime the prosecutor wants to sit down, I am more than available,” he said, though he acknowledged the situation “doesn’t look very positive.”
Reynolds has not responded to any request for comment on the letter.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
