For the third time in two weeks, the Quitman City Council met to discuss the Bevill vs. the City of Quitman, et al. case.

This time, however – after a nearly nine-year case – the city hopes to have finalized the settlement. They approved a potential deal for $193,000, which is nearly 95% less than the original amount payable by the city.

The case originated in 2017, when former Quitman Police Captain Terry Bevill signed an affidavit saying that former jail administrator David McGee, who was arrested for criminal conduct, could not get a fair trial in Wood County. The affidavit said that McGee should get a change of venue because of the close friendship between former Sheriff Tom Castloo, former District Judge Jeff Fletcher, and former District Attorney Jim Wheeler. Bevill was later arrested for perjury and then fired.

In 2024, a federal jury awarded Bevill $21.35 million for what they found to be wrongful termination. Part of this is to be paid by the city and the other four defendants (including former mayor David Dobbs), and part is additional punitive damages to be paid by the other four defendants. In addition to the $3.6 million each of the five defendants, including the City of Quitman, is liable for, Fletcher is also liable for $1,500,000, Wheeler for $1,000,000, Castloo for $750,000, and Dobbs for $100,000. All additional financial liabilities listed are for punitive damages. Bevill has also been awarded attorney’s fees of $1,342,144, costs of $14,879, and interest since June 3, 2019, in an unnamed amount.

On Thursday, Feb. 19, Quitman city officials held a special meeting to discuss, and what they said would hopefully finalize, the city’s portion of the case. Present were city council members Steve Glenn, Brad Medlin, Jack Robinson, David Dobbs (over Zoom), and Mayor Randy Dunn; also present were City Administrator Allan Gilbert, City Attorney Sarah Ross, and mediator Lance Vincent from Tyler.

The group went into executive session at 6:04 p.m. for just over 30 minutes. At the conclusion of the executive session, council member Brad Medlin made a motion to “approve the settlement proposal in Bevill vs. the City of Quitman in the total of $193,000 on behalf of the city, for the Mayor to execute any and all documents related to the same, upon review and approval by the City Attorney, and for the Mayor to authorize payment for the same upon finality.”

Steve Glenn seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous, except that council member David Dobbs abstained due to his involvement in the case as a defendant.

The final settlement is 5.36% of the original amount payable by the city.

City Attorney Sarah Ross declined to comment on whether the percentage of the cut was typical, which other entities may still pay, or whether the city will have more meetings about the case.

“I can’t answer that specifically; we hope that it would be the last,” Ross said. “We are still in negotiations, so it’s still in active litigation at this point.”

Bevill lawyer Laura Geisler was unavailable for comment.

Council member Todd Wright was not present; city officials say that Wright has tendered his resignation, but that they would put the resignation through the formal acceptance process at their next meeting.