NEW JERSEY — The mayor of Atlantic City is now being accused of asking his teenage daughter to lie about how she hurt her head. He was already accused of beating her.
Marty Small Sr., 50, was charged on Monday with tampering with a witness in the case of the girl. He and his wife, La’Quetta, who is the director of schools in the New Jersey seaside gambling resort city, were previously charged with assaulting and abusing the girl.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said that Democrat Marty Small asked his daughter to “twist up” a statement she had given to police about how he allegedly abused her in December and January.
In particular, the mayor is accused of telling his daughter lies about getting a head injury when she tripped and fell in her room.
Edwin Jacobs, Small’s lawyer, said that the new charge was “complete nonsense.” He also said that Small had asked his daughter to tell the truth about what happened.
“A parent is not tampering with a witness when they tell their child to be accurate and truthful in statements to police,” he said Wednesday. “That parent is being a good one by doing what they should. Marty Small has done just that.
Jacobs said the charge was “yet another attempt by the prosecutors to question my client’s parenting and hurt his relationship with his daughter.”
There was no word from the lawyer about whether the girl was still living with her parents. Small said she would do that as recently as last month.
prosecutors say Small asked his daughter to change her story about being abused while he knew he was about to be charged with child abuse in the first place. The claimed request was made two days before Marty and La’Quetta Small were charged by a grand jury.
They say that the girl, who was 15 to 16 years old, was hit and abused by both parents at times last winter. The couple says the claims are not true.
Prosecutors said that on January 13, Marty Small hit his daughter several times in the head with a broom, which made her pass out. They said that Small fought with his daughter ten days before, taking her by the head, throwing her to the ground, and threatening to throw her down the stairs. The mayor is also said to have hurt his daughter by hitting her in the legs.
The 47-year-old La’Quetta Small is accused of hitting her daughter several times in the chest, leaving bruises. She is also said to have dragged her daughter by the hair and hit her on the shoulders with a belt, leaving marks.
Last month, the couple said they were not guilty of the first charges. On December 3, Marty Small is due in court on a charge of messing with facts.
Source: Atlantic City mayor is charged with asking daughter to say he did not injure her
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