TYLER, Texas — Derek Phillips, the son of Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips and Smith County Pct. 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips, was sentenced Friday to 30 days in county jail for interfering with a March 2023 traffic stop and resisting arrest.
Following a jury trial verdict Thursday, he was convicted of interfering with public duties and resisting arrest for his involvement in a March 28, 2023 traffic stop conducted by a Smith County deputy. He was found not guilty of evading arrest.
After the sentencing phase Friday, the jury gave Derek Phillips 30 days in the Smith County Jail for the interfering with public duties charge. He also received 18 months of probation with 100 community service hours, according to jail records. He has received two days of credit for time served.
Later on Friday, he was transferred to the Gregg County Jail to serve out his sentence.
At the start of the trial, he pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
Arrest documents state Derek Phillips interfered with a traffic stop conducted by a Smith County Sheriff's Office deputy involving another man, Cody Voss, several times. The stop began when Voss was pulled over for his tail lights being out.
During the trial, the jury viewed the body cam and dash cam footage from the night of the traffic stop. The video shows Derek Phillips yelling, cussing and walking toward the deputy who conducted the stop, Deputy Jonathan Peters, repeatedly.
His mother Karen Phillips is also charged with interfering with public duties regarding the same traffic stop. Her trial is currently set for March 20. Documents allege 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.