Gregory takes bench as 90th District judge

Former Assistant District Attorney Phillip Gregory became the new 90th Judicial District Judge on Monday, sworn in by County Judge Win Graham and stepping in for Judge Stephen Bristow, who retired last month.

Gov. Greg Abbott appointed the newly minted Judge Gregory to the unexpired 90th Judicial District judgeship on Oct. 6. He had planned to file for the seat, which comes up for re-election on Dec. 31, 2024, before Judge Bristow retired on Sept. 30 after 11 years on the bench, he said.

Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck congratulated Judge Gregory on his new position, and said he “look(s) forward to seeing him preside over the court.”

“The Olney Police Department has a great working relationship with the District Attorney’s Office with both [District Attorney] Dee (Peavy) and Phillip,” Chief Birbeck said. “In one respect, it’s hard losing him as an assistant district attorney because we do have such a trusting relationship built up with him and we work very well in working cases that are of a felony nature. But in the same breath it’s also exciting for Phillip to move to that type of position and to become our District Judge. So I think the 90th Judicial District is getting a really competent and qualified judge.”

Judge Gregory, 55, graduated from Lake Worth High School and earned an undergraduate degree from University of North Texas. He attended Texas Wesleyan Law School, graduating in May of 2001. He was admitted to the Texas Bar the same year and opened his own law practice specializing in federal and state criminal defense. He later added family law cases to his portfolio. He began working as a prosecutor for the 90th Judicial District in 2016.

Judge Gregory and his wife Keri live outside the City of Graham. Two of their three daughters, Trinity and Lily, are enrolled at Texas Tech University, and their youngest, Ella, is a freshman at Graham High School.

Judge Bristow will continue to serve as a visiting judge for criminal cases in which Judge Gregory has conflicts of interest from his time at the District Attorney’s Office.

“It’s about justice,sometimes justice requires a prison sentence, and if someone is a good candidate for rehabilitation, justice requires rehabilitation,” Judge Gregory said when asked how his experience as a prosecutor and a defense attorney would affect his rulings. “If people can be fixed that’s what we need to do.”