Firm attorneys including Laura Benitez Geisler, Sean McCaffity, Jody Leigh Rodenberg and Rebecca Neumann have won a federal court jury verdict of $21.35 million verdict on behalf of a former East Texas police captain who was wrongfully fired after alleging unlawful collusion among elected officials in Wood County.
Terry Bevill was fired, then arrested, for signing an affidavit in 2017 saying he didn’t think a friend could get a fair trial in the East Texas county because of an improperly close relationship among the county sheriff, the district attorney, and the state district judge.
Mr. Bevill’s lawsuit claimed he was terminated by David Dobbs, the mayor of Quitman in 2017, as a result of pressure from Tom Castloo, the then Wood County sheriff, Jim Wheeler, the district attorney at the time, and Jeff Fletcher, who presided over the state district court for Wood County.
“The evidence clearly showed that a longtime and respected police officer was fired in retaliation for stating an opinion,” says Ms. Geisler. “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’s verdict specifies $18 million in compensatory damages in addition to $3.35 million in punitive damages against the four defendants.
The case is Bevill v. City of Quitman, Texas et al, No. 4:19-cv-00406, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division.
