Connecticut Court Upholds $1.3 Billion Verdict Against Alex Jones
A Connecticut appeals court upheld most of a nearly $1.3 billion defamation verdict against Alex Jones on Friday, finding the damages justified given the harm his lies caused to the Sandy Hook victims’ families. The court dismissed a $150 million portion of the damages related to a state unfair trade practices law, ruling that it did not apply to the case.
Court Validates Majority of Jury’s Award
The three-judge panel supported the jury’s October 2022 decision, which awarded $965 million in damages to the families of the Sandy Hook victims. The judges concluded the award reflected the severe mental anguish the families endured from Jones’ repeated false claims about the 2012 shooting.
Jones falsely claimed for years that the mass shooting, which killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax staged by actors as part of a government plot to confiscate guns. Although Jones later admitted the shooting occurred, the plaintiffs accused him of profiting from his conspiracy theories.
Attorneys React to the Decision
Alinor Sterling, a lawyer representing the families, commended the ruling and emphasized the significance of the jury’s decision. “The jury’s $965 million rebuke of Jones will stand, and the families who have fought valiantly for years have brought Alex Jones yet another step closer to true justice,” Sterling said.
Meanwhile, Jones’ attorney, Norm Pattis, criticized the court’s decision, claiming the jury wrongly believed Jones earned millions from his Sandy Hook conspiracy theories. He announced plans to appeal the ruling to the Connecticut Supreme Court, stating, “We had hoped the Appellate Court would have seen through the charade and farce that this trial became. It didn’t.”
Jones Faces Financial Fallout
The financial implications of the verdict prompted Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022. Another Texas jury had previously awarded $49 million to other Sandy Hook families in a similar defamation case.
In an unexpected turn, the Onion, a satirical news website, announced plans in November to purchase Infowars during a bankruptcy auction. A competing bidder linked to Jones is contesting the sale. A Houston bankruptcy judge will decide on the Onion’s bid during a hearing on Monday.
