Thomas C. Crumplar

Thomas Crumplar has built a career as a powerhouse litigator in Delaware, often serving as the primary legal shield for families seeking accountability from law enforcement. While his firm, Jacobs & Crumplar, is known for massive verdicts in other practice areas, Crumplar’s civil rights work focuses on the intersection of modern technology and constitutional protection.

In a region where high-profile police litigation was once rare, Crumplar has become a leading force in challenging official narratives. He is recognized for his "quality over quantity" approach, selecting cases that highlight systemic failures—such as a lack of de-escalation training or the "cowboy mentality" in modern policing. His work often involves close collaboration with community organizations and civil rights groups to ensure that individual lawsuits lead to broader transparency in local police departments.

Challenging the Official Narrative: Crumplar was at the forefront of using "revolutionary" bystander video evidence to hold law enforcement accountable. This was most notably seen in the fatal shooting of Jeremy McDole, a man in a wheelchair. By aggressively leveraging video that contradicted initial police reports, Crumplar secured a $1.5 million settlement and brought national attention to the need for better police training in Delaware.

He has been a vocal critic of the lack of transparency in police shootings. In recent years, he has fought the practice of departments withholding officer names in fatal incidents, arguing that victims and their families should not be forced to file "John Doe" lawsuits against "rogue cops" just to get the truth.

Crumplar specializes in Section 1983 litigation, focusing on Fourth Amendment violations. His cases frequently target excessive force, unreasonable search and seizure, and wrongful deaths occurring in custody or during high-pressure arrests.