A federal jury has ruled in favor of Terry Bevill, a former East Texas police captain, awarding him $21.35 million in a wrongful termination lawsuit stemming from his allegations of illegal collusion among Wood County elected officials.
Bevill lost his job and faced arrest in 2017 after he signed an affidavit expressing doubt that a friend could receive a fair trial in the county due to the close ties between the local sheriff, district attorney and state district judge, according to a news release about the lawsuit.
“The evidence clearly showed that a longtime and respected police officer was fired in retaliation for expressing an opinion,” said Bevill’s attorney, Laura Benitez Geisler. “This jury’s decision highlights this manipulation of due process.”
His affidavit supported a county jail administrator who had sought a change of venue after being charged with tampering with a government record to aid the release of an inmate with whom he had a personal relationship.
After the venue request was denied, the administrator was convicted, leading to Bevill’s firing and arrest for aggravated perjury, though a Wood County grand jury later dismissed the charges against him.
In his lawsuit, Bevill alleged that Quitman Mayor David Dobbs terminated him due to pressure from Sheriff Tom Castloo, then-District Attorney Jim Wheeler and State District Judge Jeff Fletcher.
Bevill expressed relief at the outcome, stating, “After five long years and two weeks of testimony, the jury confirmed that I was right all along. I hope people recognize that I did the right thing and that I would do it again.”
The jury’s verdict included $18 million in compensatory damages and $3.35 million in punitive damages against the four defendants.
