MONTAGUE COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — Trial is now underway in Montague County for suspended Clay County Sheriff Jeff Lyde on official oppression charges.

Lyde’s temporary suspension remains in place as a removal suit is expected to continue if he is found not guilty.

If he is found guilty, it’s likely the removal suit will be dropped.

Lyde is accused of holding two individuals in the Clay County Jail for more than 48 hours without finding probable cause.

This trial surrounds the alleged official oppression of one of those two individuals.

Lyde also faces charges of tampering with a governmental record in those cases.

The indictments allege he intentionally concealed the affidavits for arrest warrants on the two and kept them in his personal possession.

Lyde has said he was not made aware of the situation in the Clay County Jail while he was in Fort Worth until the afternoon of the following Monday, and that former Justice of the Peace John Swenson failed to magistrate the two individuals in custody.

This trial was moved to Montague County after a change of venue motion was filed and could take the entire week.