A Connecticut jury ruled on Wednesday that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must compensate the families of eight Sandy Hook shooting victims and an FBI agent who responded to the attack $965 million for the suffering he caused them by spreading false information about the 2012 massacre on his platforms.
The jury gave 15 individuals damages totaling $28,8,000,000 to $120,000,000. Additionally, supplemental punitive penalties were awarded to the agents’ families.
Jones said that the mass shooting was a fabrication. Jones was held liable for defamation, intentional infliction of mental distress, and violations of the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act. The families asserted that Jones made money off of his lies while people who believed him harassed and mistreated them. On his radio and web programs for years, Jones promoted untrue claims that the victims’ relatives were “crisis actors” and that one of the bloodiest school shootings in American history was “manufactured” and a “false flag.”
The incident on December 14, 2012, resulted in the deaths of 20 children and 6 adults.
The lawsuit claimed that Jones and Free Speech Systems, the parent business of Infowars, utilized the mass murder to increase their viewership and generate millions of dollars. Experts testified that Jones’ audience and revenue from product sales increased when he made Sandy Hook a theme on the show.
Judges in both the Texas and Connecticut lawsuits ruled the business liable for damages by default after Jones disobeyed court regulations regarding the exchange of evidence, including omitting to turn over documents that may have revealed if Infowars was actually responsible.
Jones admitted during testimony that he had been mistaken about Sandy Hook. He asserted that the shooting was actual. He was, however, obstinate both in the courtroom and on his show.
He criticized the judge, referred to the plaintiffs’ attorney as an ambulance chaser, and referred to the proceedings as a “kangaroo court,” calling the lawsuit an infringement on the right to free speech. He asserted that there was an effort to silence him and destroy his business by Democrats and the media.
During his testimony, he remarked, “I’ve already said ‘I’m sorry,’ hundreds of times, and I’m done saying I’m sorry.”
Jones’ attorney has pledged to challenge the judgment.
Judge rules against Infowars host Alex Jones for false claims on Sandy Hook shooting
