Thursday, November 13, 2008

Judge Gets Prison Time

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Charles Price sentenced Covington County’s former probate judge to three years imprisonment. Sherrie Phillips was convicted of first-degree theft by deception, by knowingly obtaining unauthorized control of a check for $1.8 million or any proceeds of the check, which was the property of the estate of Cary Douglas Piper and/or the State of Alabama.

Her attorneys were hoping Phillips would just get probation. Prosecutors wanted prison time, arguing she has expressed no remorse for her wrong doing.

The judge ended up giving her a 10-year split sentence with three years’ imprisonment to be served concurrently. Price also ordered Phillips to pay $5,000 in victims' compensation, court costs, and to repay the $917 difference in the amounts taken from the $1.8 million Piper account and the amount repaid when investigators started asking questions about the estate. Following her incarceration, she will have three years of supervised probation, and will remain on probation for an additional four years.

Judge: "She must serve three of the ten years because greed had taken over and as a public official she had violated the public trust. Anytime you have a public - you're elected to public office you're held to a higher standard than a normal citizen."

Phillips left the Covington County Courthouse in the custody of the sheriff’s department but is free on an appeal bond.

Source:
Former Covington County Probate Judge Gets Three Years in Prison

Phillips gets 3 years in jail - Former judge out on bond pending her appeal

See also:
Others Feel Victimized

Probate Judge Convicted

Judge on Trial

Judge Arrested on Ethics Charges

Probate Judge or Not

Petition to Reopen Estate

6 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Judge Price - you've made my day!

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  2. Free on appeal bond?

    How long will this freedom last? One day is too long.

    It's great to hear of another successful prosecution - congratulations to the prosecutors and gratitude to Judge Charles Price.

    I am grateful that the felon Sherrie Phillips received some jail time but in my opinion she deserves a lot more time in a cage, consecutive sentence is a better way to go.

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  3. The judges have the first line of responsibility in keeping guardianships and probate matters running as intended by lawmakers - and not for unjust enrichment by themselves or others. Therefore, when they fail in their duty, they should be punished to the max.
    And who is WATCHING THE JUDGES?

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  4. Good, She should go to prison.

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  5. P.R.I.S.O.N. time? Now we're talking!

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  6. How about a couple of years in a not-so-nice nursing home where she is given mind-numbing drugs like many probate victims???

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