Somerset County prosecutor's law license suspended
Oct. 28—Somerset County's district attorney has temporarily lost his law license in the wake of sexual assault charges filed against him last month.
The Disciplinary Board of the State Supreme Court on Wednesday announced the temporary suspension of Jeffrey Lynn Thomas' law license. The board noted that the ruling does not remove Thomas from elective office.
The embattled 36-year-old prosecutor, who maintains his innocence of all charges, has been on a leave of absence from his job since the beginning of the month.
Thomas bested two-term incumbent Democrat Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser in 2019 to win the prosecutor's post.
State police initially charged Thomas with rape and related offenses following his arrest on Sept. 22. Prosecutors from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office later dropped the rape charge, but allowed multiple criminal counts to stand, including sexual assault and strangulation, after a woman claimed he attacked her at her Windber home on Sept 18.
In court papers, authorities said the woman told them Thomas, who had tried to engage her in a relationship for several years, would often drive around her home. She said he contacted her via SnapChat, then arrived uninvited at her home around 11 p.m., holding several cans of beer. She told police he refused to leave, violently assaulted her and then left only after she assured him she would not call police.
Thomas, who waived his right to a preliminary hearing, faces formal arraignment on Nov. 4.
He remains free on $5,000 bond in the criminal case. On Friday, he has a hearing for a protection from abuse order being sought by his accuser.
Pittsburgh lawyer Ryan Tutera, who is defending Thomas in both the criminal case and the protection from abuse complaint, said there is much about the case that has yet to come out.
"There is more to this story than meets the eye," he said, reiterating that Thomas continues to assert his innocence.
Deb Erdley is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Deb at 724-850-1209, derdley@triblive.com or via Twitter .
