Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall released the following press release today regarding a joint investigation and prosecution:
Former Dekalb County Attorney and Judicial Candidate Sentenced for Multiple Felony Convictions
Teresa Darwin Phillips, 43, of Sylvania, a former attorney and candidate for DeKalb County District Judge, was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Taylor to 20 years in prison for her involvement in multiple crimes committed while a practicing attorney in Dekalb County.
Phillips previously pled guilty on November 7, 2022, to nine felony offenses, including 2 counts of Theft of Property 1st Degree (a Class B felony), 2 counts of Theft by Deception 1st Degree (a Class B felony), Financial Exploitation of the Elderly 1st Degree (a Class B felony), Financial Exploitation of the Elderly 2nd Degree (a Class C felony), Theft of Property 2nd Degree (A Class C felony), Theft of Property 3rd Degree (a Class D felony), and Theft by Deception 3rd Degree (a Class D felony). On each Class B felony, Phillips was sentenced to 20 years, split to serve 4 years in prison; each Class C felony, Phillips was sentenced to 10 years, split to serve 2 years in prison, and each Class D felony, Phillips was sentenced to 5 years, split to serve 1 year in prison.
The charges against Phillips come from her work as an attorney practicing in Sylvania, where she used her position as an attorney to access, steal, and spend approximately $250,000 from multiple clients. The 2020 investigation led by the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office revealed Phillips’ scheme to use the funds given to her by clients and other elderly individuals for whom she had been appointed as legal guardian or conservator for her own personal use.
“This sentence sends a strong message to those in Dekalb County and throughout the State of Alabama that attorneys will be held responsible for their wrong actions,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall. “There is no excuse for an attorney to take advantage of their position of trust to steal from those who look to us for guidance in the legal system. I will continue to work with local officials to hold those who steal and take advantage of those most vulnerable around our state.”
“Our community deserves to have attorneys who take their jobs seriously and works with integrity and honesty,” said District Attorney Summer Summerford. “My office will not stand for the intentional, premeditated targeting of vulnerable people who rely on attorneys for help in times of need. Although this sentence will not replace what the victims lost, hopefully it will provide the closure in this long case and deter other attorneys from making the same mistakes.”
Special thanks is extended to Investigator Gary Williams and other local law enforcement for their work in the investigation of this case and Assistant District Attorney Stanna Guice and Deputy Attorney General John Kachelman for their work in prosecuting the case.
