Phillips v. State

Counsel who regularly represent those who run afoul of the law, on reading the Court’s opinion will see some shortcomings in the administration of criminal justice. However, there is even more amiss than that which surfaces in the opinion. The Court’s opinion does note that Phillips had an attorney when he was first sentenced to 15 years (execution suspended) on April 4, 1983, and also when a month later the sentence was modified to a five-year term, to commence immediately. This was done because of the charged probation violation, which was not proven. Phillips, who had been working out and…