{"id":22991,"date":"2022-08-06T08:45:16","date_gmt":"2022-08-06T12:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=22991"},"modified":"2022-08-06T08:45:16","modified_gmt":"2022-08-06T12:45:16","slug":"alex-jones-must-pay-49-3m-punitive-damages-for-sandy-hook-hoax-claim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/08\/06\/alex-jones-must-pay-49-3m-punitive-damages-for-sandy-hook-hoax-claim\/","title":{"rendered":"Alex Jones must pay $49.3m punitive damages for Sandy Hook hoax claim"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $49.3m (\u00a341m) in damages after falsely claiming a 2012 school shooting was a hoax.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">A jury in Texas ruled the radio host must pay $45.2m in punitive damages, in addition to $4.1m in compensatory damages they awarded a day earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The two-week defamation trial was brought by the parents of a child killed in the attack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Twenty children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook in Connecticut.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The lawsuit was filed by Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, the separated parents of six-year-old Jesse Lewis, who died in the primary school shooting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The plaintiffs &#8211; who said they had endured harassment and emotional distress because of the Infowars founder&#8217;s misinformation &#8211; had sought $150m.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The compensatory damages issued on Thursday were meant to cover the actual costs to the family incurred by Jones&#8217; defamation, such as the private security they hired during the trial out of fear of an attack from a Jones supporter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"unordered-list-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1o5f7ft-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">LATEST FROM COURT<\/b>:\u00a0<a class=\"ssrcss-k17ofw-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-62442201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Five revealing moments from Alex Jones trial<\/a><\/li>\n<li><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">BACKGROUND<\/b>:\u00a0<a class=\"ssrcss-k17ofw-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-20738998\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sandy Hook: What happened that day<\/a><\/li>\n<li><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">LEGAL CASE<\/b>:\u00a0<a class=\"ssrcss-k17ofw-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-43799449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sandy Hook parents sue for defamation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The punitive damages are meant to act as a deterrent, and to stop Jones from repeating his offence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;We ask that you send a very, very simple message and that is: Stop Alex Jones,&#8221; a lawyer for the parents said in court on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;Stop the monetisation of misinformation and lies. Please.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Earlier on Friday, an economist hired by the parents testified that Jones, his media brand Infowars and parent company Free Speech Systems are worth up to $270m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18mjolk-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-component=\"image-block\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-wpgbih-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1hq4gmv-Placeholder e16icw910\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-evoj7m-Image ee0ct7c0\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/8C78\/production\/_126206953_tv077646083.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Jesse Lewis, 6, was killed when a man with an assault rifle attacked his classroom\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" \/><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-1mget3o-StyledFigureCaption e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y7krbn-Stack e1y4nx260\">Jesse Lewis, six, was killed at Sandy Hook (Image: Reuters)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Bernard Pettingill told the court that records indicate Jones withdrew $62m for himself from his company in 2021 as his legal troubles grew.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth,&#8221; Mr Pettingill said. &#8220;He&#8217;s got money put in a bank account somewhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy protections in the first week of the two-week trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The trial heard that Jones&#8217; business had earned about $800,000 in a single day selling diet supplements, gun paraphernalia and survivalist equipment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Lawyers for the parents accused Jones of trying to hide evidence, and argued that he had committed perjury when he denied having sent any messages about the Sandy Hook attack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Earlier this week, an attorney for the plaintiffs revealed that Jones&#8217; legal representative had accidentally sent them two years of the radio host&#8217;s telephone texts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18mjolk-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-component=\"image-block\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-wpgbih-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1hq4gmv-Placeholder e16icw910\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-evoj7m-Image ee0ct7c0\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/1039C\/production\/_126206466_tv077648918.jpg 976w\" alt=\"The parents of Jesse Lewis said Jones had made their lives &quot;hell&quot;\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" \/><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-1mget3o-StyledFigureCaption e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y7krbn-Stack e1y4nx260\">The parents said Jones had made their lives &#8220;hell&#8221; (Image: Reuters)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">He said that the congressional committee investigating last year&#8217;s US Capitol riot had requested access to the messages as they look into Jones&#8217; alleged role.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">This is the first of three trials against Jones being brought by family members of Sandy Hook victims.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">He has already lost a series of defamation cases filed by parents of the victims by default after failing to produce documents and testimony.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">But this was the first trial in which financial damages were agreed by a jury.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Jones appeared briefly in the court on Friday, but was not present for the final verdict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Despite retracting his claims about Sandy Hook, Jones has continued to use his media platform to argue the case was rigged against him and claimed that members of the jury pool &#8220;don&#8217;t know what planet they&#8217;re on&#8221;. His Infowars website depicted the judge being consumed by flames.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">His behaviour triggered several rebukes from the judge, who at one point told him: &#8220;This is not your show.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">After the verdict on Friday, he posted a video where he claimed his net worth to be a fraction of what was said in court, and condemned the trial as &#8220;beyond any kangaroo-rigged court ever&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Jones &#8211; a popular figure in US fringe conservative commentary &#8211; has repeatedly argued that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax orchestrated by the government to strip Americans of gun rights, and that the parents of the dead children were &#8220;crisis actors&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">His lawyer had cited US constitutional free speech protections and asked for leniency in the trial, saying the jury had already sent a message to all radio hosts &#8220;that their standard of care has changed&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-62444302\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $49.3m (\u00a341m) in damages after falsely claiming a 2012 school shooting was a hoax. A jury in Texas ruled the radio host must pay $45.2m <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/08\/06\/alex-jones-must-pay-49-3m-punitive-damages-for-sandy-hook-hoax-claim\/\" title=\"Alex Jones must pay $49.3m punitive damages for Sandy Hook hoax claim\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[109,2,3],"tags":[8110,5009,645,1023,8693,641,147],"class_list":{"0":"post-22991","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headline","8":"category-news","9":"category-usa","10":"tag-alex-jones","11":"tag-austin","12":"tag-connecticut","13":"tag-defamation","14":"tag-punitive-damages","15":"tag-sandy-hook","16":"tag-texas","17":"pmpro-has-access"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22991"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22993,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22991\/revisions\/22993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}