The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

Fired Police Captain Gets $21.35M in Wrongful Termination Trial

SHERMAN – A federal court jury on Thursday awarded almost $21.4 million to a former Quitman police captain who was fired and then arrested for signing an affidavit in 2017 saying he didn’t think a friend could get a fair trial in Wood County because of improperly close relationships between the county sheriff, the district attorney and the state district judge in Wood County.

The verdict in favor of Terry Bevill, 64, came on the second day of jury deliberations in the trial of Bevill’s wrongful-termination suit before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III. 

©2026 The Texas Lawbook.

Content of The Texas Lawbook is controlled and protected by specific licensing agreements with our subscribers and under federal copyright laws. Any distribution of this content without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.

If you see any inaccuracy in any article in The Texas Lawbook, please contact us. Our goal is content that is 100% true and accurate. Thank you.

© Copyright 2026 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.