Pa. Supreme Court will not review former Somerset DA's sexual assault conviction
Former Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas has been denied a judicial review for his 2023 conviction in the sexual assault of a Windber woman.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week declined to review Thomas’ case after the state’s Superior Court affirmed his conviction.
“We’re pleased that the defendant’s latest attempt to evade accountability for this attack has failed,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “Since his first post-conviction filing, we have argued — and courts have agreed — that the trial process in this case was proper and that the jury considered overwhelming evidence to convict.”
Thomas, 40, was convicted on six charges including indecent assault and strangulation. He is serving his 2 1/2- to 7-year prison sentence in SCI Waymart. Upon release, he is required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
The victim told investigators Thomas repeatedly contacted her over several years to seek a sexual relationship and would drive around her house. After he sent her a message saying he was headed to her home, she told him to stay away, according to the 2023 arrest affidavit.
Thomas showed up at her home and she told him to leave, and the physical attack followed, police said.
In 2024, Thomas was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading no contest to a charge that he had assaulted his wife in 2021.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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