Former Quitman Police Captain Terry Bevill has been awarded $21.35 million in damages for a civil rights violation stemming from his termination from the department in 2017.

A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Sherman returned its verdict last Thursday following a trial that began Monday, Sept. 9.

Bevill filed suit for civil rights violations in 2019 against the city of Quitman and its then-mayor David Dobbs and Wood County and three former elected officials, Sheriff Tom Castloo, District Judge Jeff Fletcher and District Attorney Jim Wheeler.

In awarding damages, the jury determined that Bevill should receive $18 million in compensatory damages and $3.35 million in punitive damages.

The punitive damages were assessed against the individual defendants as follows: Fletcher - $1.5 million, Wheeler - $1 million, Castloo - $750,000 and Dobbs - $100,000.

The compensatory damages include $5 million each for impairment of reputation in the past, personal humiliation in the past and mental anguish and suffering in the past. An additional $1 million each was awarded for any further damages in those three categories in the future.

Bevill claimed that Castloo, Fletcher and Wheeler conspired to get him fired by the city after he signed an affidavit that former Wood County jailer David McGee could not get a fair trial in the county for assisting an inmate to escape.

After McGee was convicted, Fletcher issued an arrest warrant for Bevill for aggravated perjury, a charge that was no-billed by the grand jury 16 months later.

“This outcome is better than anything I could imagine,” Bevill told a public relations firm representing his attorney. “After five long years of waiting and two weeks of testimony, the jury just verified that I was right all along. All you’ve got in this life is your name, and now I hope people realize what I did was the right thing to do, and I’d do it all over again.” 

Attorney Laura Benitez Geisler with the Dallas law firm of Sommerman, McCaffity, Quesada & Geisler said, “The evidence clearly showed that a longtime and respected police officer was fired in retaliation for stating an opinion. Every subsequent action taken demonstrated the truth supporting that opinion, and that due process could be manipulated to fit the bias and whims of these officials. We’re pleased the jury has compensated Mr. Bevill for the emotional and reputational damage he has suffered.” 

The jury did not find any liability against Wood County.

”We are happy that the jury determined that Wood County had no liability. However, we are disappointed in the verdict against the individual defendants. Our legal team is thoroughly reviewing the verdict and exploring all available options, including potential grounds for an appeal,” said attorney Robert Davis, who represented the county and Castloo.

In its veredict, the jurors answered “Yes” to the following questions:

Do you find that Plaintiff Terry Bevill has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that his speech, which the Court has already determined is protected under the First Amendment, motivated Defendant David Dobbs’ decision to terminate him from the Quitman Police Department?

Do you find that Plaintiff Terry Bevill has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that two or more of any of the following defendants participated in a conspiracy to terminate Plaintiff Terry Bevill in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment free speech right? Castloo, Wheeler, Fletcher, Dobbs, city of Quitman.

Do you find that Plaintiff Terry Bevill has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the City of Quitman maintained a policy, custom, or practice that was the moving force leading to the decision to terminate Plaintiff Terry Bevill in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment free speech right?

It answered “No” to that question for Wood County.

In awarding punitive damages, jurors answered “yes” to this charge concerning the four individual defendants:

Do you find by a preponderance of the evidence that the damages caused by any of the following defendants against Plaintiff Terry Bevill resulted from malice or reckless indifference?