More than five years after former Quitman Police Capt. Terry Bevill filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over his dismissal, the trial is under way in federal district court in Sherman.

A jury was seated on Monday, Sept. 9. Opening statements were made Sept. 10, and Bevill was called as the first witness.

Bevill sued the city of Quitman, then-Mayor David Dobbs, the police department, county officials at the time Sheriff Tom Castloo and District Judge Jeff Fletcher, former District Attorney Jim Wheeler and Wood County.

The suit stems from an affidavit Bevill signed in 2017 stating that former sheriff’s department employee David McGee, who faced charges of aiding an inmate to escape from the county jail and tampering with government records, could not receive a fair trial, citing the close relationship of Castloo, Wheeler and Fletcher.

After McGee was denied a change of venue, he was tried and convicted, and Fletcher immediately moved to charge Bevill with aggravated perjury. 

Bevill’s suit for First Amendment free speech civil rights violations stems from his eventual dismissal from his position with the city of Quitman and the alleged role of the three county officials in that dismissal.

Bevill’s testimony continued on Wednesday, Sept. 11, followed by Sheriff Kelly Cole, who was Quitman police chief at the time, then attorney Scott Cornuaud and Dobbs.

Dobbs continued his testimony Sept. 12 followed by DA’s investigator Jerry Hirsch and Wheeler.

Current DA Angela Albers, who was an assistant DA at the time, testified on Friday, Sept. 13 along with former County Judge Bryan Jeanes, attorney Lance Wyatt and former Quitman City Secretary Greg Hollen.

Hollen returned to the stand on Monday the 16th, followed by Fletcher.

Testimony was expected to wrap up Tuesday or Wednesday, and the charge made to the jury possibly Wednesday.