Charges not prosecuted in John W. Smith Jr. case

By Linda Cicoira

“Lack of credible evidence” was the official reason given when a motion not to prosecute 76-year-old Hallwood Councilman John Wilson Smith Jr. on sex and abduction charges was made by Northampton Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton recently.

“Obviously, there was probable cause” because a grand jury indicted him, Thornton said. “But not beyond a reasonable doubt … It was just revealed to me in the past several weeks when I was able to get the information from another jurisdiction,” that the woman who made the complaint had made “other unfounded claims.”

Smith, who spent months in the Eastern Shore Regional Jail before getting bond, denied the allegations from the start. He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned and had asked for a jury to hear the case. The charges stemmed from an October 2023 complaint.

Defense lawyer Andre Wiggins, of Eastville said, “I’m very pleased but at the same time I’m aggravated … I felt like this was a really superficial investigation … If I hadn’t pushed, he would have gone to trial. Justice only occurs when everybody does their job well … We were very fortunate in uncovering this.

“I feel really bad for Mr. Smith,” Wiggins continued. “People are probably whispering about him… it’s incredibly unfair … This is not uncommon at all. I’ve represented three factually innocent” defendants recently.

Smith could have faced life in prison.