Key Points
· A Connecticut judge ordered Alex Jones to pay the relatives of the Sandy Hook victims an extra $437 million, bringing the total sum owing in the case to an astounding $1.44 billion.
· Sandy Hook family have sued Jones three times over his conspiracy ideas about the 2012 attack: twice in Texas and once in Connecticut.
· Later this year, the third and final trial is scheduled to begin in Texas. Jones might be required to pay families considerably more
The verdict was against Alex Jones by the court and jury. And despite receiving judgements totaling more than $1 billion, the conspiracy theorist's days are numbered.
The Infowars host Alex Jones and his firm were forced to pay an additional $473 million in punitive damages by a Connecticut judge on Thursday because of his erroneous conspiracy theories around the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The decision now raises the total judgement against Jones in a lawsuit brought by the relatives of the victims of the 2012 tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, which left 20 first-graders and six teachers dead, to an enormous $1.44 billion.
And Jones' problems are far from done; a new trial that will start later this year might result in even harsher financial sanctions. The growing legal issues have exposed Jones to a wide range of problems, such as potential punishments, perjury accusations, and increased scrutiny in the inquiry into the uprising at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Why is Alex Jones now in debt to the Sandy Hook families for $1.5 billion?
The Unfair Trade Practices Act of Connecticut, which outlaws unfair competition and deceptive business practises, was broken, and Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis awarded the families $150 million in damages as well as around $323 million for the plaintiffs' legal fees and costs.
In addition to that decision, a jury had last month ordered Jones to pay the $15 plaintiffs $965 million in damages for defamation, infliction of mental distress, and violations of the unfair trade act.
In her 45-page decision, Bellis stated that the evidence "clearly supports the plaintiffs' allegation that the defendants' behaviour was intentional and malicious and certain to cause injury due to their infrastructure, ability to disseminate content, and large audience, including the "infowarriors."
Three other lawsuits—two in Texas and this one in Connecticut—were filed against Jones. Jones was ordered to pay one Sandy Hook family $50 million by a Texas jury in one of the claims. Later this year, Jones will stand trial for the last time in Texas
Families of Sandy Hook and Alex Jones respond to the verdict
One of the attorneys for the Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, told USA TODAY in an email that Bellis' ruling acknowledged Jones and his media outlets, Infowars and Free Speech Systems, for their "intentional, malevolent, and horrific" actions.
Additionally, Bellis gave Jones the directive to keep all of his assets inside the country.
According to Mattei, "this is the first step in ensuring that Jones personally will pay every dollar he has to the families he spent years torturing."
Jones has declared that he will contest any judgments.
Following the decision on Thursday, Jones' attorney, Norm Pattis, wrote to USA TODAY via email and said the following: "Karl Marx once said, "The verdict was tragedy; the latest decision is farce." Our work on the appeal is made easier as a result."
How much money does Alex Jones make? Will he reimburse the Sandy Hook families?
Given that Jones has said he has little money to pay damages in light of the three cases he is dealing with from Sandy Hook families, it is unclear how much of the money any plaintiffs will actually see.
Before one of the Texas defamation trials was scheduled to begin, Jones and Free Speech Systems, the organisation that owns Infowars, filed for bankruptcy in July. Three other of Jones' businesses, including InfoW, formerly known as Infowars, also declared bankruptcy in April
Jones referred to the decision as "stupid" and "a joke" on his show on Thursday. He asserted that he has "virtually nothing," which the bankruptcy procedure will demonstrate.
Jones said on Thursday, "Well, of course, I'm smiling at it." "It would be like if you mailed me a bill for $1 billion. We've got you, man."
It's unclear what Jones is worth. Jones may be worth between $135 million and $270 million, according to testimony given earlier this year in a defamation action by forensic economist Bernard Pettingill Jr., according to Forbes. The popularity of Free Speech Systems and Infowars contributed significantly to those numbers.
Jones has frequently attempted to minimise such numbers despite growing legal issues. He has joked off the amount requested of him and claimed that his wealth is probably closer to $2 million on his show.
According to Forbes, Jones was connected to five Texas properties valued an estimated $7.5 million. As several court proceedings loomed, he gave his wife ownership of one of the most valued homes, believed to be worth $3.5 million.
Where did we come from? Several court cases are involved Jones, Alex
Jones' far-right media outlet, which includes online, TV, and radio, has spent years promoting conspiracies surrounding the Sandy Hook massacre.
He made a number of allegations, such as the mass shooting at the school didn't occur and the 26 people killed were actors, which resulted in widespread harassment of the victims' families and forced some of them into hiding.
In 2018, ten families filed lawsuits against Jones, including two in Texas and one in Connecticut, the state where the incident took place. In 2019, Jones admitted the incident indeed happened, but he continued to distribute false information about it and the families of the victims.
By refusing to take part in the court-ordered discovery process, Jones lost all three cases before even entering a courtroom. Three judges determined that Jones was required to compensate the families for their lack of cooperation. How much Jones will have to pay has been the subject of the two trials.
Jones was found responsible for damages by two juries, one in Texas and one in Connecticut.
The jury in the Austin, Texas, defamation case decided in favour of Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis, who had originally sought $150 million in damages. He is currently owed $1.44 billion by the 15 plaintiffs in Connecticut.
What will Alex Jones do next? Committee on January 6, probable perjury charges?
At the end of this year, a third and final trial over Jones' hoax allegations that the parents of another 6-year-old first-grader in Austin should receive damages is anticipated to begin.
Due to Jones' failure to provide the plaintiffs with many records, Jones was similarly found liable for damages in the two earlier court cases without having to go to trial.
Jones is under investigation for a number of other issues in addition to the escalating financial crisis.
One of Jones' attorneys accidentally shared the information from Jones' smartphone to the plaintiffs' attorneys during his first trial in Texas, purporting to expose at least one falsehood Jones had told while testifying. He had claimed that he had looked through his phone and found no such texts.
During cross-examination, Jones attempted to dismiss the disclosure by making fun of the other side's attorney and denying that he had lied. However, legal professionals believe that the incident could make Jones a perjury suspect. Although criminal accusations of perjury are uncommon and challenging to establish, Jones' notoriety might make him a tempting target, particularly in liberal Austin.
Jones might experience additional repercussions from Texas Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, who presided over the case, even if prosecutors never pursue a case. Before the trial, the parents' attorneys asked the judge to punish Jones for failing to present evidence in a motion they had filed. Gamble might decide to take that motion.
The text exchanges made Jones a target of lawmakers looking into the disturbance on January 6 as well.
The committee summoned Jones to appear after spending months demonstrating how former President Donald Trump promoted fabricated allegations of election rigging. Additionally, the chairman of the commission charged him with planning a protest before to the uprising near the Capitol.
Jones' communications purportedly were shared to the lawmakers. According to CNN, which cited an unnamed person familiar with the situation, Jones' lawyer Mark Bankston provided the committee with two years' worth of his messages. The parents are suing Jones. Despite declining to make any further comments, Bankston told The Associated Press that he was "cooperating with the committee."
0 Comments