Jury rules DPS must pay $1.5M to former East Texas troopers

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Less than an hour of deliberations took place before a jury unanimously decided that a Texas Department of Public Safety sergeant illegally implemented a quota system for arrests and traffic stops.

The jury ruled that Texas Department of Public Safety must pay each of the plaintiffs $500,000 plus fees.

The case was brought by four former DPS troopers against Sgt. Robert Shugart upon allegations that Shugart created a hostile work environment, as well as the illegal quotas. Rodney Mahan, one of the former troopers, said in testimony on Thursday that he was retaliated against after having meetings with Shugart and Shugart’s superiors about the quotas. Mahan retired in October 2020 after serving with DPS for 33 years.