Most Texas jury members dismiss charges against all but one member of ‘Trump Train’ group

A Texas jury found that a San Antonio man violated the Ku Klux Klan Act in a civil trial over a “Trump Train” convoy that swarmed a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris bus in 2020. The jury found Eliazar Cisneros, a chef and Navy veteran, liable and ordered him to pay $10,000 in compensatory damages and a $30,000 fine in punitive damages. The incident involved cars with flags supporting former President Donald Trump intercepting a campaign bus, causing anxiety and insomnia for the passengers. Cisneros was accused of hatching the plan to surround the bus. The verdict marks the first time a defendant has been found liable under the 1871 Klan Act. Both sides saw the verdict as a victory, with the defendants arguing they were exercising their First Amendment rights. The trial highlighted the defendants’ political convictions and Christian faith and the ties between the two. There were also settlements with a city over a lack of police escort and with some defendants who issued apologies. The plaintiffs testified to fearing for their lives and experiencing anxiety and depression after the incident. The plaintiffs’ attorneys are seeking to recover attorneys’ fees, which could exceed $1 million. The defendants were represented by high-profile conservative attorneys, and one defendant vowed to appeal the verdict.

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