Case Title: In re Honorable Tommy D. Phillips II

Citation: 

Docket Number: 38S00-1609-JD-517

State: indiana

Court: Indiana Supreme Court

Date: 2017-04-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
ATTORNEY FOR HON. TOMMY D. PHILLIPS, II, JUDGE 
Kelly N. Bryan 
Bryan & Bryan 
Muncie, Indiana 
 
ATTORNEYS FOR THE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL 
QUALIFICATIONS 
Adrienne L. Meiring 
Mary Elizabeth Daulton 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
_________________________________ 
No.  38S00-1609-JD-517 
IN THE MATTER OF THE HONORABLE 
TOMMY D. PHILLIPS II, JUDGE 
OF THE DUNKIRK CITY COURT 
_________________________________ 
JUDICIAL DISCIPLINARY ACTION 
_________________________________ 
April 28, 2017 
Per Curiam. 
This matter comes before the Court as a result of a judicial disciplinary action brought by 
the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications (“Commission”) against Respondent Tommy 
D. Phillips II, Judge of the Dunkirk City Court. Article 7, Section 4 of the Indiana Constitution 
and Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 25 give the Indiana Supreme Court original 
jurisdiction over this matter. In lieu of Respondent tendering a written response to the charges, the 
parties jointly tendered a “Statement of Circumstances and Conditional Agreement for Discipline” 
stipulating the following facts: 
Respondent is not a lawyer. At about 5:30 p.m. on August 16, 2016, he went to the Dunkirk 
Police Department for a meeting with City of Dunkirk Mayor Gene Ritter (“Mayor”) and Dunkirk 
Chief of Police Dane Mumbower (“Chief Mumbower”) to discuss several issues of conflict 
between the police department and the city court. Early in the meeting, Respondent began having 
a heated verbal exchange with Chief Mumbower, who started to leave the meeting. The heated 
exchange continued, and Respondent shoved Chief Mumbower in the midsection. The Mayor 
calmed both men down and asked Chief Mumbower to stay to discuss the matters of concern that 
had prompted the meeting, and the meeting continued until about 7:38 p.m. 
FILED
C L E R K
Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
Apr 28 2017, 1:37 pm
 
 
The Jay County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident a few days later. Then on 
September 29, 2016, Respondent was charged in Jay Superior Court with Battery Against a Public 
Safety Official as a Level 6 felony in case number 38D01-1609-F6-000165. Respondent pleaded 
guilty to the charge under a plea agreement providing for the conviction to be treated as a 
misdemeanor at sentencing. At sentencing, the trial court entered judgment of conviction against 
Respondent for Battery Against a Public Safety Official as a misdemeanor and sentenced him to 
365 days in the Jay County Jail, all suspended to one year of probation, with 100 hours of 
community service to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a condition of probation. 
Respondent and the Commission agree that, by being convicted for Battery Against a 
Public Safety Official, Respondent violated Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 1.1 requiring judges to 
comply with the law, and Rule 1.2 requiring judges to avoid impropriety and to act at all times in 
a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary. 
The parties cite no facts in aggravation. In mitigation, they agree that Respondent self-
reported his misconduct; that he cooperated with the Commission during its investigation; that he 
actively sought and has continued treatment to address some of the underlying issues that resulted 
in his misconduct and continues to work with his counselor; and that he is remorseful for his 
conduct.  They also agree that under the circumstances, the appropriate sanction is a public 
reprimand on the condition that Respondent will tender his resignation as the Dunkirk City Court 
judge effective April 28, 2017, that he shall not be eligible for future judicial service, and that he 
pays the costs of this proceeding. The Court agrees with the parties. 
Accordingly, Tommy D. Phillips II, Judge of the Dunkirk City Court, is hereby 
reprimanded.  This discipline terminates the disciplinary proceedings relating to the circumstances 
giving rise to this cause.  The costs of this proceeding are assessed against Respondent. 
All Justices concur.