Texas Jury Renders Verdict in High-Profile Voter Intimidation Case Involving Trump Supporters
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal jury in Texas delivered a significant verdict on Monday, finding that only one individual among a group of former President Donald Trump supporters was responsible for voter intimidation accusations stemming from an incident involving a Biden-Harris campaign bus shortly before the 2020 election.
Of the six Trump supporters named in the civil trial, the jury held one Texas resident accountable after his vehicle collided with another during a convoy of cars known as the “Trump Train” on Interstate 35. The jury ordered him to pay $10,000 in damages to the bus driver, alongside an additional $30,000 in punitive damages.
Following a two-week trial in Austin, both parties declared a form of victory. The five individuals cleared of wrongdoing expressed relief, viewing the decision as a validation of their actions. "We’re just ready to feel like normal people again," stated Joeylynn Mesaros, one of the acquitted defendants, reflecting on the long journey to trial. "It’s been a thousand something days to have our day in court."
Legal representatives for the bus passengers, including former Texas Democratic lawmaker Wendy Davis, claimed justice was achieved despite their disagreement with the jury’s decision to exonerate the five defendants. Tim Holloway, the bus driver during the incident on October 30, 2020, emphasized the case was never politically motivated.
The Biden-Harris campaign bus was en route from San Antonio to Austin when a group of vehicles displaying Trump flags surrounded and slowed the bus. During the blockade, Davis recounted her fear for safety, and video evidence captured a member of the convoy colliding with a campaign volunteer’s car, exacerbating the tension as traffic ground to a halt.
The incident occurred on the final day of early voting in Texas, leading to the cancellation of a planned event at Texas State University after the bus team attempted to secure police assistance through numerous 911 calls, which went unanswered.
Central to the trial was the question of whether the actions of the “Trump Train” members constituted political intimidation. No criminal charges were initially filed against any of the Trump supporters involved.
The attorney representing the defendant found liable, stated that an appeal will be pursued, affirming, “It’s not over yet.”
Wendy Davis expressed the emotional toll she and her fellow passengers experienced, stating, “It’s traumatic for all of us to revisit that day.”
