Former Clay County sheriff Lyde turns himself in to jail — again
Jeffrey Lyde, former Clay County sheriff, was ordered to turn himself in by noon Tuesday to the Hardeman County Jail to serve the remainder of his time, an official said.
Lyde, 56, turned himself in to the jail in Quanah about 11 a.m. Tuesday, a Hardeman County sheriff's official said.
The 97th Judicial District Court of Clay County issued an order for Lyde, who was released because of medical issues last week, to return to jail in Quanah to finish his sentence. Senior Justice Lee Gabriel signed the order Monday.
He has served about 10 days of a 30-day sentence for two misdemeanors related to his tenure as sheriff. He is undergoing his punishment in Quanah to avoid disgruntled former employees and witnesses in his trial who work in counties closer to Henrietta.
The Hardeman County Jail released him from custody Thursday after he suffered possibly life-threatening medical issues and needed to be moved from Hardeman County Memorial Hospital to United Regional Health Care System for further treatment.
Hardeman County Sheriff Pat Laughery has said that the Sheriff's Office did not have the manpower to send a deputy to Wichita County, so Lyde was released. Laughery has said Hardeman County residents are his priority.
Lyde began serving a 30-day sentence Nov. 27 for misdemeanor official oppression and document tampering convictions in Clay County. The class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to a year in jail and as much as a $4,000 fine.
He illegally held a man in jail and tampered with documents related to the charge against him in incidents July 12, 2021. Lyde's sentence was part of a punishment deal reached Oct. 10 that also required him to surrender his law enforcement license, ensuring he could not be a peace officer in Texas.
A Montague jury found Lyde guilty of the misdemeanors Sept. 15. Under Texas law, his conviction resulted in his ouster from elected office.
Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Former Clay County Sheriff Lyde ordered back to jail, turns himself in
