Judge orders continued inpatient commitment for woman previously found not guilty by reason of insanity

A judge in the 252nd District Court ordered that Stacy Clark — who has also used the name Stacy Phillips in court filings — remain committed for inpatient mental-health treatment at the Helen Farabee Center for a period not to exceed one year.

The action followed the court's review of paperwork from the Helen Farabee Center in Wichita Falls, dated March 4, 2025, and other file materials showing Clark previously had been found not guilty by reason of insanity and placed in inpatient treatment. The judge said the packet included a signed waiver by Clark and a clinical letter from a treating psychiatrist (identified in the file as Dr. Solano) describing Clark's condition and current treatment status.

Why it matters: The ruling keeps Clark in a court-ordered therapeutic placement rather than returning her to standard criminal processing, and it formalizes a less-restrictive inpatient placement after prior inpatient care and outpatient follow-up.

The judge said the one-page letter from the Helen Farabee Center was not the usual full report the court receives and continued the hearing two weeks to allow the court and counsel to obtain a fuller evaluation. After reviewing an additional psychiatric evaluation dated March 4, 2025 and other records in the file, the judge concluded that Clark remains mentally ill and that continued inpatient treatment at the Helen Farabee Center is required; the judge therefore committed her for up to one year and directed further evaluation.

Defense counsel joined in Clark's written waiver of her right to be physically present for the hearing. Court staff were asked to follow up with the treatment provider and to supply fuller reports to the court file.

The order does not resolve longer-term placement or civil-commitment issues; the judge said follow-up evaluation and additional paperwork will guide whether any further orders are needed.