The increasingly bitter dispute between Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds and Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson continues to escalate, with both sides now trading accusations in court filings, public statements and competing claims over taxpayer costs and prosecutorial independence.
The latest development came this week when a Superior Court judge postponed rulings on several pending motions after Reynolds amended portions of his lawsuit against Atlantic County and county officials.
According to Atlantic County officials, Reynolds dropped two counts from his original four-count complaint after reviewing the county’s legal opposition. The withdrawn claims included allegations that Levinson improperly interfered with prosecutorial functions and exercised inappropriate political pressure through public comments about the prosecution of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small.
Assignment Judge Susan Sheppard granted Reynolds permission to amend the complaint, meaning the broader legal dispute is now expected to continue into the summer. County officials say additional rulings likely will not come until at least July.
The conflict stems from fallout surrounding the failed prosecution of Small, who was acquitted late last year on child abuse charges. Prosecutors later dismissed related cases against Atlantic City Superintendent La’Quetta Small and Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Days-Chapman.
Since then, Reynolds has accused county officials and others of attempting to improperly influence prosecutorial decisions. In legal filings, Reynolds alleged Levinson and county counsel questioned the costs, staffing and resource allocation connected to the prosecutions in ways that interfered with prosecutorial independence.
Levinson has forcefully denied those allegations and instead accused Reynolds of driving up unnecessary legal costs for taxpayers through litigation and demands for outside counsel.
A major issue in the dispute now centers on Reynolds’ effort to secure independent conflict counsel. Reynolds argues Atlantic County Counsel cannot fairly represent both county government and the prosecutor’s office while the two sides remain in active legal conflict.
“The taxpayers of Atlantic County are already paying for attorneys to represent their public interests,” Levinson said in recent public comments criticizing the request for additional outside legal representation.
Meanwhile, Levinson has formally asked New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport to review the situation, warning about mounting taxpayer expenses connected to mediation sessions, outside attorneys and ongoing litigation.
The county executive also continues disputing Reynolds’ claims that the prosecutor’s office is underfunded. Levinson recently noted the office’s proposed 2026 budget exceeds $18 million, including an $823,000 increase for salaries.
Reynolds, however, has argued his office faces staffing pressures and retention problems despite handling heavy caseloads.
The public battle has now evolved far beyond the original Marty Small prosecution and into a broader confrontation over prosecutorial authority, county oversight and political influence within Atlantic County government.
With mediation efforts still unresolved and amended legal complaints pending before the court, the dispute shows little sign of cooling down anytime soon.
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Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
