Florida plastic surgeon accused of killing attorney in his office defends himself in murder trial

An unusual trial is underway for a Florida plastic surgeon, accused of murdering an attorney he’d opposed in court and disposing of his body in a dumpster before prosecutors say it ended up at the landfill.

Clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, Dr.

Tomasz Kosowski, 47, is representing himself in court as he faces a first-degree murder charge with the possibility of the death penalty.

He’s waived his right to a jury – the judge presiding over the Pinellas County trial is set to decide the doctor’s fate.

Kosowski was arrested in March 2023 in connection with the disappearance of attorney Steven Cozzi .

He has remained in jail and insists he is innocent.

The two men met through a legal dispute.

FLORIDA PLASTIC SURGEON MAY HAVE MURDERED MISSING LAWYER IN LAW FIRM BATHROOM: POLICE Cozzi had worked on a civil lawsuit beginning in 2019 involving money allegedly owed to Kosowski for work he’d done tied to personal injury cases.

Cozzi helped represent the corporate clients Kosowski was suing.

During years of litigation, Kosowski developed a hostile attitude toward Cozzi, according to court records.

He blamed Cozzi for his problems in the case and demanded that the attorney be removed as defense counsel, records show.

"He made a bunch of completely unwarranted, inappropriate accusations about Steve throughout the litigation," said Jake Pillsbury, an attorney who worked with Cozzi on the case.

Cozzi had told others that, during a deposition, Kosowski approached him in a restroom and "called him a scumbag" and "that he [Kosowski] was going to win," Pillsbury said in court.

Those close to Cozzi began to worry about his safety.