AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury will soon decide whether a convoy of supporters of then-President Donald Trump violently intimidated former Democratic lawmaker Wendy Davis and two others on a Biden-Harris campaign bus when a so-called “Trump Train” boxed them in for more than an hour on a Texas highway days before the 2020 election.

The trial, which began on Sept. 9, resumes Monday and is expected to last another week.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that six of the Trump Train drivers violated state and federal law. Lawyers for the defendants said they did not conspire against the Democrats on the bus and that their actions are protected speech.

Here’s what else to know:

  • FIash Mob #5678@beehaw.orgOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    2 months ago

    Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that six of the Trump Train drivers violated state and federal law. Lawyers for the defendants said they did not conspire against the Democrats on the bus and that their actions are protected speech.

    I don’t know how, given the harassing and objectionable temperament of Trump supporters, that anyone could argue this with a straight face. How is it even a question that this was a violent incident? Because they didn’t fire a gun at the bus?

    • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      2 months ago

      Kidnapping and forcible confinement now officially political acts of speech.

      Autobots, roll out.

  • Chuymatt@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    If this argument flies with this judge, it needs to be very quickly used on the Trump campaign folks.

  • delmain@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    2 months ago

    So glad that the court system is working efficiently. This happened in 2020 and we’re only just now going to trial for it in 2024.

    • pup_atlas@pawb.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      2 months ago

      This. I am so tired of hearing “the wheels of justice turn slowly”. If justice isn’t able to address a problem for so long that the perpetrators are allowed to continue perpetuating the same behavior an entire election cycle later, the justice system has failed, straight up. This is unacceptable.

  • Drusas@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    2 months ago

    Harassment, intimidation, and false imprisonment are not free speech.

    This was an act of terrorism clearly intended to terrorize those inside the bus.

  • LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    2 months ago

    Defense attorney is technically correct, they didn’t conspire against the Democrats on the bus because they thought some different Democrats were on it instead. bee fingerguns cool emoji