CLEVELAND, Texas – A civil trial in Texas recently concluded with a jury clearing five pro-Trump activists but holding one individual responsible for an incident involving a Joe Biden campaign bus. This case stemmed from a 2020 event where the defendants surrounded the bus on the highway, leading to accusations of violating state and federal laws against political intimidation.
During the two-week trial, Eliazar Cisneros was found liable and ordered to pay $40,000 in damages for his role in conspiring to intimidate the campaign. However, his co-defendants – Stephen and Randi Ceh, Joeylynn and Robert Mesaros, and Dolores Park – were not held liable in the jury’s decision.
The outcome of this trial carries significant weight in today’s politically charged climate, with co-counsel John Paredes emphasizing the importance of accountability for acts of political intimidation or violence. The acquitted defendants, who maintained the case was politically motivated, also expressed relief at the trial’s conclusion.
The incident in question occurred nearly four years ago when a group of individuals participated in a “Trump train” convoy that surrounded and slowed down the Biden campaign bus on the highway. Video footage captured multiple vehicles boxing in the bus and causing it to come to a crawl before the driver made a sudden exit to escape the situation.
The passengers on the bus, including former Biden campaign staffer David Gins and ex-Democratic state senator Wendy Davis, filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging political violence. Following the incident, three Biden campaign events had to be cancelled, with at least one reported collision taking place.
Although the defendants denied pre-planning the event or intending harm, evidence presented in court showed that Cisneros played a role in coordinating the actions against the bus. The jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering Cisneros to pay $30,000 in damages to the passengers and an additional $10,000 to the bus driver.
Legal representatives for Cisneros have expressed intentions to appeal the decision. Notably, two original co-defendants previously settled the case and issued public apologies, while the city of San Marcos paid out a settlement over allegations of law enforcement failure to intervene during the incident.