Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. has been granted an early release from prison so he can spend critical final days with his 8-year-old daughter, Mila. Mila was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer, and doctors recently determined her illness is untreatable after chemotherapy failed.
On August 7, Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Renard Scott granted Smallwood’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea in a New Jersey firearm case. Following a federal appeals court ruling regarding state weapon laws, the court ruled that the tragic family emergency justified the decision. The Wendell Smallwood early prison release dying daughter cancer ruling enables the 32-year-old Super Bowl winner to reunite with his family during his daughter’s remaining time in palliative care.
“This is not just a matter of legal semantics. It’s about whether his daughter will hold her dad again.” — Yaron Helmer, Smallwood’s Attorney
Judge Scott recognized that Smallwood posed no threat to the community and had maintained an exemplary record while incarcerated, clearing the path for his prompt release.
