TYLER, Texas — Lance Phillips, the son of Smith County Pct. 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips and Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips, was arrested again for disrupting another commissioners court meeting Tuesday morning.
He was attempting to speak about the district attorney's office seeking to approve overtime for employees when Smith County Judge Neal Franklin stopped him as he was going off-topic.
Lance Phillips started to claim that the Smith County District Attorney's Office was making "many intentional, false and misleading statements."
As he said this, Franklin tried to stop him from speaking, and Lance Phillips responded by saying, "Stop, stop, stop. That's not four minutes, stop."
Franklin told him the speech had to be in the allotted time to which Lance Phillips responded with another "stop."
He continued to make statements against the DA's Office. Franklin then said, "This is where I'm going to stop you there."
A deputy tried to grab the mic from Lance Phillips, who then also grabbed it and looked at the deputy saying stop.
As that happened, Franklin said, "Mr. Phillips, you're through, that's it."
Lance Phillips then said, "No, I'm not." He grabbed the items he brought to the podium. As he walked out, he said, "This is what they think of y'all. This is what they think of the truth."
"I just want to remind everyone in this public comment that you must speak on the agenda item," Franklin said.
Lance Phillips shouted, "I was. You shut me down. You shut me down."
Franklin then warned Lance Phillips to not make outbursts from the crowd or he would be told to leave.
Lance Phillips said in return, "You're the one who interrupted my time." He can then be heard making other comments, and Franklin told the deputies to take him out of the courtroom.
Lance's father, Pct. 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips, said the commissioners need to vote on a contempt charge. And Franklin responded, "It's not contempt."
In the crowd, Lance Phillips can be heard screaming, "I haven't done anything!," and "What are y'all doing?"
"I want my three minutes, chica. I know this is BS. Jacob, you're not going to do this. Jacob, you're not breaking charges on me. Jacob! Jacob Putman!," Lance Phillips said.
Court resumed after Phillips was taken out of the courtroom with a second public comment speaker.
He was later booked into the Smith County Jail on a disruption of meeting charge on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.
In November, Lance Phillips took a plea deal and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. That stemmed from his disruption of a meeting arrest in May 2023 that was also during the public comment portion of the Smith County Commissioners Court meeting.
DEREK PHILLIPS
Lance Phillips' brother Derek Phillips also spoke against the compensation for the DA's Office.
Derek Phillips started his speech by saying he brought "refused mail from the district attorney's office." He said he's made multiple attempts to give mail to the DA's Office, including in person. He also called himself a victim.
"I've gone in person and I've actually seen him walking down the sidewalk. And I've said, 'Jacob, I'm a victim.' I've got my hands up screaming like this, 'I'm a victim, I'm a victim, I'm a victim. Please talk to me. Will someone in the office talk to me?" Derek Phillips claimed to the court.
He said he's a civilian of Smith County and he does not agree with giving extra money whenever they don't have the people.
Derek Phillips and Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips, the mother of Derek and Lance Phillips, are both under indictment in connection with accusations of interfering with a March 28 traffic stop. Deputies had tried to pull another man, Cody Voss, over for his tail lights being out, according to the Smith County Sheriff's Office.
Documents allege Derek Phillips interfered with Voss' traffic stop arrest several times. Officials also said Karen Phillips grabbed a sheriff's deputy and pushed another deputy as these officers tried to arrest Derek Phillips after he ran into her home.
They are both charged with interfering with public duties (class B misdemeanor), and Derek Phillips is also indicted on resisting arrest (class A misdemeanor) and evading arrest (class A misdemeanor) charges, according to Smith County judicial records.
Derek Phillips has a pre-trial hearing on Thursday morning with a current trial date of Feb. 7. Karen Phillips has an arraignment hearing set for Friday morning. Her current trial date is set for March 20, according to Smith County court records.
CODY VOSS
Cody Voss, who was arrested alongside Derek Phillips during that traffic stop, was the third speaker who spoke against the agenda item regarding the DA's Office overtime.
Voss claimed there was evidence that Putman had violated citizens' constitutional rights. Franklin asked Voss if he was for or against approving the overtime payment for the DA's Office. Voss said he is "absolutely against it."
He questioned why groups like the DA's Office deserve overtime and why some people get to speak over three minutes in commissioner's court and others get "targeted."
He told the court they've "all been put on notice" because the commissioner's court is a court of record.
In connection with the March traffic stop, Voss is charged with failure to identify. He is set to have a trial by a judge on March 20, according to court records.
Both Voss and Derek Phillips' speeches were followed by claps from the crowd. Franklin asked for no outbursts from the crowd. Two other people after Voss and Derek Phillips both spoke about the agenda item to disagree with approving the extra compensation.
AGENDA ITEM APPROVAL
After the public comments. Putman told the commissioners there was some confusion from the public about what his office is asking for. He said the overtime funds have already been budgeted, but when overtime is used the DA's Office has to ask for the Smith County commissioners' approval.
After the explanation, the overtime compensation was then approved without opposition.