The criminal case against Thomas Bosworth, a 37-year-old personal injury lawyer who uses the name “Tommy the Lawyer” online, involves simple-assault and harassment charges in Lower Merion Township.
The allegations arise from a Sept. 3 encounter in Bala Cynwyd. An account describes a physical confrontation between Bosworth and a woman. The account includes allegations involving the woman’s neck and nearby bushes. Their newborn daughter was reportedly nearby in a stroller.
The account describes the confrontation. The account does not detail what either adult told police at the scene. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Defense and court status
Defense and court status Attorney Michael van der Veen represents Bosworth. The available account does not include a statement from van der Veen. According to the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System, a preliminary hearing is ordinarily held in a lower-level court to determine whether a criminal case should proceed toward trial; it does not determine guilt.
Protection-order data and local resources
For statewide context, Pennsylvania Common Pleas courts published a 2023 statewide caseload report, according to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Research and Statistics department. Montgomery County says people seeking an after-hours emergency Protection from Abuse order can contact its Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-773-2424, according to the county’s Protection from Abuse information. The county guidance does not establish that anyone in this case used that service.
Protection-order records
For context, the cited Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System report concerns protection-order proceedings, according to the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System’s Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts. The information cited here does not establish that a Protection from Abuse petition was filed in this case, provide a Montgomery County filing count or specify what relief a court may have ordered.
In Pennsylvania, simple assault is generally a second-degree misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to Margetas Legal. Harassment may be prosecuted as a third-degree misdemeanor, with a possible maximum of one year in jail, or as a summary offense carrying up to 90 days, according to Grace Legal Offices.
Bosworth’s legal career
Bosworth has built an online audience under the “Tommy the Lawyer” name. His posts are associated with that name. He gained attention after obtaining a medical-malpractice verdict in 2022 for Diana Melendez against the University of Pennsylvania Health System while working at Kline & Specter.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court later upheld the award in September and criticized Bosworth’s trial conduct. Bosworth discussed the ruling on LinkedIn, writing that the courtroom is among the few places where ordinary people can hold powerful wrongdoers accountable.
Bosworth’s legal work has also drawn scrutiny. The available materials do not establish the details of the alleged conduct or Bosworth’s response.
Bosworth operates his own practice. The firm and Bosworth have been involved in a long-running dispute over attorney fees, with settlement issues later returning to court. In a separate matter, the available materials do not establish the details of a dispute involving Penn Medicine and Bosworth’s social-media posts.
Where the case began
The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is described on Lower Merion Township’s website, according to Lower Merion Township. Police are continuing to investigate the alleged confrontation.
