Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds has filed a tort claim alleging that local officials conspired to undermine his office and interfere with the child-abuse case that ended in the acquittal of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small.
The notice, submitted Wednesday, March 18, outlines plans for a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages for emotional distress and harm to Reynolds’ career. It’s also a formal step toward bringing a civil case in Superior Court under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act.
Allegations against local officials
The claim accuses multiple officials of conspiring to defame the prosecutor’s office and obstruct its handling of criminal cases, raising broader concerns about political interference in prosecutorial decisions.
According to the document, Small “made statements falsely asserting that the prosecution was politically and/or racially motivated” during a post-trial press conference.
Those named in addition to Small include his wife La’Quetta Small, Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Days-Chapman and four council members. A separate notice filed by Reynolds names Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson and Atlantic County Administrator Gerald DelRosso.
The filings state that the officials engaged in a coordinated effort to pressure Reynolds and influence prosecutorial decisions. The conduct described includes using control over the prosecutor’s budget to apply financial pressure, raising purported taxpayer concerns about the cost of prosecutions and making targeted requests for information related to ongoing cases. The notice further argues that officials and defense attorneys issued threats “that if he did not drop certain prosecutions, he is done as county prosecutor.”
A key point in the dispute involves separate indictments against La’Quetta Small and Days-Chapman, both of which were dismissed after the mayor’s acquittal. Reynolds maintains there were attempts to improperly influence those outcomes.
Local officials reject the allegations.
“What a punk. This is unreal and an absolute joke. The prosecutor is the definition of ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen’,” Mayor Small said in a March 19 statement, responding to the claim. “You can tell the prosecutor is hot and bothered by this ordeal because all he has been doing since my acquittal is writing puff pieces about what the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has done. I look forward to the days when he goes back to being a fifth-rate municipal court lawyer.”
Small also defended his conduct following his acquittal, saying he continues to serve the city despite what he described as false allegations.
Levinson also dismissed the claims, telling NJ Advance Media that Reynolds has not suffered damages and that any issues were “self-inflicted.” He acknowledged suggesting Reynolds consider dropping one of the cases, but said it was a recommendation, not interference.
The legal dispute is the most recent escalation in an ongoing conflict among Atlantic County officials.
Earlier this month, Small filed notice of his intent to sue Reynolds, alleging the prosecution against him was politically motivated. Reynolds also previously sought an injunction against Levinson, accusing the county executive of interfering in prosecutorial decisions, NJ Advance Media reported.
The conflict stems in part from the child-abuse case against Small, who faced charges including endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and witness tampering. He was acquitted of all charges on Dec. 18 following a trial that drew widespread attention and carried the possibility of up to 25 years in prison.
After the verdict, Reynolds said he disagreed with the outcome, but underscored the importance of the legal process and encouraged victims of alleged abuse to continue coming forward.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from the NAACP Atlantic City Branch, which called for the prosecutor’s resignation.
“Should resignation not occur, we call for prompt intervention by the attorney general of New Jersey, and a formal meeting to address these matters,” the organization said in a statement released in early February.
Meanwhile, Reynolds has resisted calls for his resignation.
George Bochetto, an attorney representing Reynolds, did not respond to Shore Local’s request for comment.
