Suspended attorney with history of drug abuse attacked priest outside South Side monastery, police say

A man arraigned Monday after police say he attacked a priest outside a South Side monastery is a suspended Pittsburgh-based criminal defense lawyer, the Tribune-Review has learned.

Lawyer Timothy Tomasic, 46, of Scott, was charged with aggravated assault and simple assault following Saturday’s incident.

Tomasic was in Allegheny County Jail on Monday, held on $3,000 bail, according to court records. He has an April 24 preliminary hearing.

Pittsburgh police said they responded to St. Paul Monastery on Monastery Avenue around 11 a.m. for a report of a person inside the church making threats, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

Upon arrival, police saw a shirtless man, later identified as Tomasic, exiting the church with an elderly man, later identified as the Rev. Joseph Sedley, the complaint said. Police said they then saw Tomasic throw Sedley to the concrete ground. He stood over Sedley and appeared as though he was going to start punching him.

A police officer pulled a out a Taser and ordered Tomasic to get on the ground. Tomasic went down to his knees and was placed in handcuffs, according to the complaint.

Sedley declined medical treatment at the scene. Tomasic, who police said in the complaint might have been on drugs at the time of the attack, was taken to UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital without incident.

Tomasic, a criminal defense attorney in Allegheny County who talked openly about his history of drug abuse, received a public reprimand from the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board in August.

A filing in the disciplinary action said Tomasic failed to properly represent a client in the spring of 2021, including not driving the client to a hearing because he was passed out from using drugs.

The filing also noted that Tomasic had several phone calls with the prosecutor during which she believed he was under the influence.

The disciplinary board ordered that Tomasic be placed on two years of probation and ordered him to abstain from using drugs and alcohol, attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings, maintain contact with his sponsor there and have a sobriety monitor with whom he was to meet twice each month.

Then, on March 17, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an order placing Tomasic under suspension, effective in 30 days.

He appeared in court briefly Wednesday before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski — before the suspension took effect. Tomasic was representing Tracy Humphreys, who previously pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the death of her 12-month-old son.

Humphreys was seeking to withdraw her plea.

Sasinoski, who was clearly frustrated with Tomasic, asked him if he was ready to go to trial, and the attorney said he was not.

Sasinoski then told Tomasic to report to court the next morning for jury selection.

Tomasic never showed, and a new attorney was appointed in the case.

Sasinoski chastised Tomasic both for not being ready for trial but also for failing to visit his client in the Butler County jail for several months.

On that same day, Tomasic also became aggressive with the prosecutor in the Humphreys case — shouting at her in the courthouse stairwell, as well as later outside as she was attempting to leave. Among other things, he shouted that he hoped to die, had previously used crack cocaine and was now using methamphetamine.