Alex Jones Ordered to Pay Sandy Hook Families $965 Million

Jones Lies and People Get Hurt

A Connecticut jury has ordered Infowars founder, Alex Jones, to pay $965 million to families of the Sandy Hook shooting. The jury held Jones liable for lying when he called the 2012 massacre a hoax. The action disregarded the fact that 20-year-old, Adam Lanza, shot that killed 26 victims. In fact, the years following the Newtown, Conn. school shooting, Jones claimed that the government staged the event. Specifically, he said that parents simply hired actors in a leftwing conspiracy to confiscate guns and weaken the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.

As a result, victim families suffered harassment and threats from many of Jones’ rabid followers. Some family members moved from Newtown as they feared public persecution. One victim’s mother told ‘The Times of Israel’ that she and her husband had to constantly move in order to get away from public harassment by passionate fans of  Jones’ lies.

Lying for Profit

Jones, held liable for violating the state’s ‘Unfair Trade Practices Act,’ provided little defense for his actions. The Jury found that he used lies to sell a treasure trove of products over the internet and on radio. Under Conn. law there is no cap on punitive damages a jury can award for such a violation. The amount of the award, close to $1 billion, put an exclamation point on the verdict and told the world that you can’t spread lies to sell a products for profit.

While Jones broadcasted his radio show, the court publicly announced the verdict. He simultaneously told his listeners, “This must be what hell is like — they just read out the damages, even though you don’t got the money.”

Jones, Broke Busted and Discussed.

Alex Jones and his infamous media company ‘Free Speech System,’ filed for bankruptcy protection in July of 2022 in anticipation of the outcome of this and other civil lawsuits. Before this verdict, he was already involved in court-supervised settlement talks with families of Sandy Hook school shooting victims. Therefore, it’s not all together clear how much of the astounding $965 million verdict reached that jones will wind up paying especially since he plans on filing an appeal. Nevertheless, Variety.com reports that Jones’ legal troubles has, almost certainly, ruined both he and his Free Speech company.  All major internet services have banned him, they added. Former U.S. Attorney, Harry Litman, told MSNBC, “I just don’t see how he winds up anything but basically broke now for the rest of his life.” It’s perhaps an echo from an old sixties adage: Broke Busted and Discussed.

Breakdown of the Damages

Here is the breakdown of the nearly $1 billion in damages that the Connecticut jury awarded to plaintiffs in the defamation suit against Alex Jones.

Robbie Parker, who’s daughter Emilie was killed, awarded $120 million. Mary Sherlach, the Sandy Hook school psychologist, who was killed in the hallway, her husband was awarded, $36 million. First grader, Ben Wheeler’s parents, David and Francine were awarded $109 million. The parents of 7-year-old, Daniel Barden, awarded $86 million. Six-year-old, Dylan Hockley’s parents, awarded $155.2 million. Avielle Richman mother, Jennifer Hensel, awarded $52 million. The family of Vicki Soto, the first grade teacher killed at Sandy Hook, awarded $240 million. F.B.I agent who was one of the first responders to the school shooting, awarded $90 million. The jury awarded Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, the principal who confronted the gunman, family $76 million.

Written by DiMarkco Chandler

Sources:

Bloomberg: Right-Wing Provocateur Alex Jones to Join Bankruptcy Mediation

The Washington Post: Alex Jones ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to Sandy Hook families

The New York Times: Live Updates: Alex Jones Ordered to Pay Sandy Hook Victims’ Families Nearly $1 Billion

Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Sean P. Anderson‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License