TYLER, Texas — Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips was sentenced to one year of probation on Monday for interfering with her son Derek Phillips' arrest in March 2023.
She was convicted by a jury in May after a roughly two-day trial. After the verdict, the judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation before issuing a sentence.
The judge pronounced the sentence of probation for one year Monday afternoon after reviewing the pre-sentence report and hearing from the state and defense.
The defense asked for six months' probation. The prosecution said if the judge chose to issue probation, they wanted one year of probation with 50 hours of community service. If she failed her probation, the state wanted her to then serve 90 days in county jail.
Her charge and conviction stems from a March 28, 2023 traffic stop that began when her son Derek Phillips confronted the deputy conducting the stop for another man, Cody Voss’, tail lights being out. Documents explained that Karen Phillips grabbed a sheriff's deputy and pushed another deputy as these officers tried to arrest her son after he ran into her home.
Interfering with public duties is a Class B misdemeanor, meaning she faced up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
In March, Derek Phillips was sentenced to 30 days in county jail and 18 months of probation with 100 community service hours for interfering with public duties and resisting arrest.
Last week, her other son Lance Phillips, 41, was sentenced to serve one year in the county jail for interrupting a Smith County Commissioners Court meeting in January. He was convicted of hindering proceedings by disorderly conduct in connection with a Jan. 2 commissioners court meeting that he was removed from when he went off the topic during the public comment section.
He was also ordered to pay a $4,000 fine.
Lance Phillips is set to go to trial in Oct. 8 for an assault of a peace officer or judge charge, which is a second degree felony, in connection with an April 2 commissioners court meeting. At that time, he also went off topic during the public comment section.
Last November, he was sentenced to serve 30 days in county jail after pleading guilty to evading arrest.