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Phillips’ request rejected
Court won’t rehear appeal; options are state Supremes, jail
Published Friday, August 14, 2009
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals denied a request Friday for a rehearing filed by Sherrie Phillips, former probate judge of Covington County.
In October, a Covington County jury found Phillips guilty of theft by deception of $1.8 million and intentionally using her official position for unlawful personal gain for herself or a family member. The state originally brought six counts of theft and ethics violations against her.
Phillips, who in November was given a 10-year split sentence with three years’ imprisonment, has been out on an appeals bond since the sentencing.
The court of criminal appeals upheld her conviction in July. She had 14 days to request a rehearing. Because that request has been denied, she has 14 days to petition the Alabama Supreme Court for cert, or a legal review, before having to report to jail.
The appellate court’s denial came just a day after Evergreen attorney John Brock pleaded guilty to third-degree perjury, a misdemeanor, for his role in the probate case that led to the charges against Phillips.
The case involved the estate of a deceased man, Cary Douglas Piper of Castleberry, in Conecuh County, who appeared at the time of his death to have no heirs and no will. Six first cousins were later identified.
State law sets out a probate process called escheat, in which the assets of a person who dies without heirs or a will are turned over to the state, where they are held for 20 years in case heirs appear.
Brock was accused of perjury for his request to Phillips that she appoint Mary Drew Sullivan administrator of the Piper estate. State law says that an estate should be probated in the county in which a person lives, dies, or has assets — in Piper’s case, Conecuh County.
Instead, Brock petitioned to have the estate probated in Covington County. Phillips awarded Brock $450,000 in legal fees and awarded Sullivan $450,000 in administrative fees. Both later repaid the estate after being ordered to do so by then-Special Probate Judge Lee Enzor.
During Phillips’ criminal trial, witnesses testified that she used a $1.8 million check from the estate to open a personal money market account with Edward Jones, using her home address and her Social Security number. She then spent more than $516,000 of the funds, with which she paid off personal debt, purchased two vehicles, paid for repairs to her home and loaned money to two relatives.
She repaid the money to the account after investigators from the Attorney General’s office served a search warrant for records in the case and just hours before she was scheduled to be interviewed by those investigators.
Comments
Posted by andervic (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 5:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well Sherrie lets see if you have the money for the supreme court. just go do your time.
Posted by lo1an2go (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 7:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Brock and Sullivan need to serve time also.
Posted by average_joe (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 7:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I will believe Sherrie finally went to jail for her dishonesty when someone verifies that she is in jail clothing. What happened to all the "talk" of investigating other cases where she did the same thing to others??? We have problems with our officials if they do not follow through with investigating other cases. Election time is approaching and those responsible for following through with investigations should answer the "why" question for not investigating further.
Posted by bob (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm wondering when the suit Ms. Sullivan is bringing against Sherrie Phillips and John Brock in Conecuh County is coming up?? Does anyone know? Maybe Phillips is having to spend some of the money for appeals that she stole from all the mentally and physically handicapped people that she stole from. Is her "cousin" still representing her as her lawyer? Why not one that she gave all the perks to while she was still in "power"? We'll be counting down to the 14 days!!!
Posted by patwilliam (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let her be gone! Serve your time, and yes, they ABSOLUTELY need to continue investigating her 20+ years in office and uncover all her other misdeeds, as I am sure, as are a lot of you guys, that she's been doing this for years, and finally got too greedy and it caught up with her. Be gone with you Sherrie...and hey, why did you get to benefit by paying off vehicles and mortgage loans with this money...I still can't wrap my head around that one...you skated out on no more finace charges and stuff that all the rest of us have to pay...what makes you so special? Oh, oops, I forgot...you were the Probate Judge of Covington County...'member that you WERE, past tense!! No more! Maybe the citizens of Covington County can get a grip now and investigate these theives before putting them into offices!
Posted by pathenley (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 7:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if Sue Bell Cobb has been reading all of the articles written in our newspaper, as well as the comments posted to see exactly how the citizens feel about Sherrie's
case.... Where did Sherrie get enough money to "repay" around 1/2 millon or so dollars ???? SO MANY unanswered questions...... This situation has been such a shock to all of us. A real let down. I think we all felt almost as disappointed in her actions, as we were on that "9-11" day when we realized we were not as safe a nation as we had thought all of our lives to be. As one reader above stated, in 14 days we will see just how our justice system rules. Have a blest day.
Posted by andalusiainquirer (anonymous) on August 15, 2009 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It should be recalled that when Sherrie became PJ she had no college education or law degree. But she did get degrees from AUM and Jones Law School, both of which are in Montgomery. She did this while she was suppose to be at the courthouse running the probate office. In other words, we the people put her thru school. If the truth were told, probate office funds paid for it too. She left the work of her office to carried out by people with even less training or knowledge that she had. I have witnessed her employees to into the records vault and ask lawyers what to do. In many cases these lawyers knew that they had conflicts of interests in what was being said. All of the women that she hired were members of the same organization that she belonged to. So were the women that she appointed to handle estates and guardianships.
Posted by opinions (anonymous) on August 17, 2009 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't even know how Sherrie or anyone else can even open their mouth to say that what she did was not wrong. How can you borrow money from someone and not tell anyone about it. Sherrie was making enough money being PJ to live a life finer than most of us can even dream about, but she wanted more and she didn't care who she got it from as long as she got what she wanted. I believe that alot of people in covington county has been cheated by her in one way or the other. On top of that her family has the nerve to get mad because they are having a hard time with the public opinion...well the public didn't steal money....if her family wants to blame someone blame her..she made the decision to steal money so she should pay for the crimes that she commented
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on August 17, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I will be listening and watching to see how 'HONEST' our legal rep's. are in the state of Alabama, Covington County, as well as Andalusia.
Posted by andervic (anonymous) on August 17, 2009 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I still say the DA should look at all her cronies she awarded guardian ad litem cases. $6000 dollars is awful steep for a one year audit. check their business and personal accounts for checks written to sherrie phillips.
Posted by rgodwin (anonymous) on August 17, 2009 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These are all good points and without a doubt, she is just a crook. I'm like average_joe , in that I sure hope she is investigated farther. If she just serves 3 years, it will be a travesty of justice for the honest, hard working people of Covington County. There is no way that this unrepentant woman hasn't done this kind of thing many times before and she needs to serve time for each one. If those officials, over the investigation don't investigate her to the fullest and let these other crimes slide, they themselves should be prosecuted so they too, can get their orange jumpsuits.
Posted by newsman2010 (anonymous) on August 17, 2009 at 9:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i agree with most of u on here sherrie phillips is a crook, but somehow our law has failed here, she needs to serve her time no slip thru the cracks good call winkie n all the rest on here about sherrir the crook phillips.
Posted by Kathy052 (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 2:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am sorry to say this and I may get a lot of heat from this. BUT IT IS WHAT YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE.
Posted by andervic (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 6:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
When i see an article about the da i will respond with a request for further investigations on phillips and her cronies. If he does not then he gets no vote. simple solution, and the people in covington county can make a difference.
Posted by sweetnannie (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree... Alabama needs new people in office to get rid of the "i'll pat your back, if you pat mine" that is between all officials, which is a crime. Judges, Attorney General.. shucks,,, even the Governer could pardon her if he chooses. That would be a site wouldn't it?!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by biscuitsandhoovergravy (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe we will finally get to see justice prevail in this case. I have for a very long time believed that she was a crook...it has been public knowledge for years that there were irregularities in the operation of the PJ office. What amazed me is that for all those years the voters of Covington County repeatedly reelected her to office. What does that say about the collective intelligence of the voters?
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)
biscuitandhoovergravy: We didn't have the Star News blogg, back in the day. Seriously though, before Sherrie was busted for stealing when talk started...... well......... it was stopped short. By whom? I have no idea. I've heard talk on so many city, county, state employees. Is it buy offs, blackmail, who knows. I feel there will be All New people next election.
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Read what Told You So said about Jefferson County.
Posted by jorskippy (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 5:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with you guys. Sherrie Phillips is a disgrace to Covington County. She needs to be in jail for 10 years. She also needs to be investigated further. But because this stealing probably reaches all areas of the county, it will be dropped.
Posted by ccresident09 (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sherrie never was qualified to be probate judge. As mentioned earlier, her education (or sorts of) became of part time schooling and distance education after she gained office at tax payers expense(again). She is from Geneva County, and boy is there dirt there she left behind and still keeps that trail hot. She's been a first rate crook from the beginning and the prople who kept her in office used her as a pawn and the general public just thought she was a 'good ole country girl'. Poor, poor Covington County, when will we learn???? She is a disgrace to us all. Go to JAIL Sherrie and stop wasting all our time.
Posted by andervic (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 7:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How many of you disgruntled people are willing to make further investigations by the DA an important issue, when he starts his campaign?
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 7:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Winkie.
"she was stopped short. By whom? I have no idea."...think a little. Remember, the Honeymooners? Jackie Gleason and Ed Norton? They belonged to the Racoon...
Posted by pathenley (anonymous) on August 18, 2009 at 8:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hi Shamrock--I know I have missed something somewhere, because I don't understand your comment above. Maybe I will catch on later. Have a blest day.
Posted by andervic (anonymous) on August 19, 2009 at 6:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i call on the DA to further investigate phillips and her cronies that she assigned guardian ad litems as an issue for his bid for reelection.
Posted by lo1an2go (anonymous) on August 19, 2009 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All this corruption did not just start with this administration. I remember hearing things waaaaay back when. Won't bore ya'll with facts, because at this point in time it doesn't matter. Just remember when you go to vote the things that have happened. If I don't agree with someone in office I can suck it up if the LAW is followed.
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on August 19, 2009 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shamrock: lol, you might better explain to pathenley . Yea I remember the Raccone............ LOL
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on August 19, 2009 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't know one Attorney in Covington County that I want in the DA's office. I use to hold our Judges in high esteem, but after they removed themselves from involvement in Sherrie's trial/judgement............... well...... "None" will get my vote. Stinks have started Greg Gambril fired 3 employees. Sounds simulair to Sherries beganning of the end. It started with a very honest woman being fired. The ball will pick up speed now, so hold on to your seats folks, the City might just need that 'Water Hose" . What a MESS WE ARE IN!! Where are you LoyalAmerican,rgodwin?
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on August 19, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Pathenley: I apologize for being so vague - actually I was abit reluctant - but a good night's rest and I feel brave -
Remember the Honeymooners - when Ralph Cramdon and Ed Norton would get ready to go to their Racoon lodge meeting? They would put their racoon hats on and give each other the "secret" coontail shake.
They remind me of the politicians and judges in C.C.
Posted by pathenley (anonymous) on August 19, 2009 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks Shamrock for a reply . I get it now. Thanks for your bravery!It was LOL. I think we have lots of things yet to come forward ,as many of you agree I'm sure.
Posted by winkie (anonymous) on August 20, 2009 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL, Those were the day's..............
Posted by pathenley (anonymous) on August 26, 2009 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Her last "14 days" for are almost up aren't they?
Posted by hank (anonymous) on August 29, 2009 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I know for a fact she stole from other accounts
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