Jerry Theos
Jerry N. Theos is a veteran Charleston criminal defense attorney who represented businessman Eric Bowman — one of the men Rep. Nancy Mace publicly named in her February 2025 House floor speech — and whose prior campaign fundraising for Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson was reported as context in news coverage of the Bowman criminal proceedings.
Last updated August 20, 2025
Jerry N. Theos is a Charleston, South Carolina trial attorney and founding principal of Theos Law Firm, LLC. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1982 after earning a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and he entered private practice in 1985 following a stint as Deputy Public Defender for Charleston County. He is a former President of the Charleston County Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (a distinction held by fewer than one percent of attorneys in any state), and is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and South Carolina Super Lawyers, according to his firm's website.
What happened
February 10, 2025 — Mace's House floor speech. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC-1) delivered a lengthy speech from the House floor publicly naming several men, including Charleston businessman Eric Bowman, and alleging a pattern of sexual misconduct. Theos was not named in the speech and has not been accused of any misconduct by Mace or others in the public record. Bowman publicly denied the allegations.
April–August 2025 — Bowman criminal proceedings. Following Bowman's April 2025 arrest on stalking and harassment charges (and a subsequent August 2025 arrest on first-degree criminal domestic violence charges), Jerry Theos publicly represented Bowman as his defense attorney. At Bowman's bond hearing following the August arrest, Theos argued, according to the Post and Courier, that his client had been fully cooperative with authorities and that the prior bail conditions from the harassment charge were sufficient to protect the complainant. Bowman has not been convicted on any of these charges; both matters were pending as of the date of this entry.
FITSNews reporting (August 20, 2025) — Fundraiser connection to Solicitor Wilson. FITSNews reported that Theos was the top sponsor of a campaign fundraiser held on behalf of Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson in September 2024 in downtown Charleston, describing him as "one of the top financial supporters" of Wilson's office — the same office responsible for prosecuting Bowman's criminal case. FITSNews framed this financial relationship as a potential appearance issue; it quoted a complainant in the Bowman matter as saying: "It feels like they care more about pandering to power brokers than protecting victims." No formal ethics complaint or recusal motion involving Theos is identified in publicly available reporting.
Mace's public criticism of Solicitor Wilson (June 2025). Separately, Mace publicly accused Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson of obstructing justice and leaking evidence in connection with the investigations into the men she had accused, stating on the PBD Podcast on approximately June 19, 2025: "There's been evidence that's been leaked." Wilson denied the claims and stated, "I have no idea what the Congresswoman is referring to," according to the Post and Courier. Mace's office did not provide evidence to support her obstruction claims when asked by the Post and Courier. Theos was not named by Mace in these public statements; the reporting on Theos's campaign contributions to Wilson appeared in news accounts as background context, not as an accusation Mace made against Theos.
No public reporting identifies any allegation, lawsuit, criminal charge, or disciplinary proceeding directed at Jerry Theos personally. His role in the publicly reported record is as defense counsel for Eric Bowman.
Sources
- FITSNews — Businessman Tied To Nancy Mace 'Scorched Earth' Speech Arrested (August 20, 2025) — primary source for Theos–Wilson fundraiser connection and Theos's role as Bowman's attorney
- Post and Courier — Bail denied for Charleston entrepreneur Eric Bowman charged with domestic violence attack — Theos's public statement at bond hearing
- Post and Courier — US Rep. Nancy Mace accuses Charleston's Republican prosecutor of obstruction in her assault case — Mace's public accusations against Solicitor Wilson; Wilson's denial
- Theos Law Firm — About Jerry N. Theos — professional biography
See also
Neutral, public-record summary. Allegations are attributed to their source and remain unproven unless adjudicated. Theos has not been personally accused of wrongdoing in any publicly available source reviewed for this entry. His connection to the Mace–Bowman matter is as Bowman's defense counsel; news reporting separately noted his prior campaign contributions to Solicitor Scarlett Wilson as context. All criminal charges against Bowman are unresolved as of this entry.