TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video was published on April 4, 2023.
Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips and her son Derek Phillips have been indicted for accusations of interfering with deputies' public duties during a traffic stop in late March.
A grand jury handed down indictments for the mother and son on Nov. 2. Both were officially charged with interfering with public duties (class B misdemeanor), and Derek Phillips was also indicted on resisting arrest (class A misdemeanor) and evading arrest (class A misdemeanor) charges, according to Smith County judicial records.
Their charges stem from a March 28 traffic stop when Smith County deputies tried to pull another man, Cody Voss, over for his tail lights being out.
According to an arrest affidavit, Voss pulled into the Phillips' residence and failed to identify himself during the stop. Derek Phillips interfered several times and was also told to step back multiple times from the deputy and Voss. However, Derek Phillips continued to walk up and yell at the deputy.
At one point, Karen Phillips came out of the house and she and her son followed the deputy toward the patrol vehicle, the documents allege.
Derek Phillips turned toward the door of the house and ran away from deputies into the home. While inside, Karen Phillips reached her arm toward one of the deputies, trying to stop the pursuit of her son, the affidavit said.
She yelled at deputies, "get out of my house" while the officers were trying to apprehend her son in a bedroom of the home. The deputies told her to "step back" multiple times, the document explained.
According to the affidavit, Karen Phillips "reached her arm" between one of the deputies, "pushing him away from Derek Phillips as he was escorted out of the residence by deputies." Videos filmed by Karen and Derek Phillips were posted later on TikTok.
As her son was getting escorted to the patrol vehicle, the detective said in the affidavit that Karen Phillips yelled, "Shut up, you idiots!"
Derek Phillips and Voss were both arrested that night, while Karen Phillips was booked on April 4 and released from the Smith County Jail. Voss is charged with failing to identify and detective or no tail lights. His trial is set for Dec. 6, records show.
Voss and Karen and Derek Phillips have since filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits against Smith County.
Karen Phillips' other son and Derek Phillips' brother Lance Phillips, 40, of Tyler, is also going through the criminal charges that began after he allegedly shouted during the public comment portion of the May 9 Smith County Commissioners Court meeting.
Lance Phillips is charged with disrupting a meeting, evading arrest and three counts of legal process stimulating. His trial is set for Nov. 29 in Smith County Court at Law No. 3.
A week before his first arrest, Lance Phillips attempt to speak during the public comment portion about the arrest of his bother and mother or what he called "slander" against his family.
In August, Lance Phillips was arrested on accusations of filing subpoenas without the proper authority. Arrest documents show he attempted to subpoena Smith County Judge Neal Franklin, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith and one for Court Security Lieutenant Matthew Lazarine to command them to testify before Smith County Court at Law No. 3 Judge Clay White in his trial.
However, an investigator later learned there was no signature from the county clerk and Lance Phillips is not authorized to issue these documents, according to an arrest affidavit.