Alex Jones Slapped With Penalty Increase Over Sandy Hook
(ConservativeHub.com) – Infowars host Alex Jones is again in court for his claims that the December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary school mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. On November 10, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis awarded the victims’ families another $473 million in punitive damages. This award is just one ruling of many that Jones has or will face due to his conspiracy theories about the tragic event.
More About The Case
Families of some Sandy Hook victims sued Jones for defamation and harassment related to his spreading theories that the incident was fake, the families were actors, the victims never existed, and the government planned the whole thing to push anti-gun sentiment. They said his lies led to his followers harassing and threatening them.
Judge Bellis already awarded $965 million in compensatory damages to the families of the Sandy Hook victims in this case. This time, she said he refused to turn over documents as required per court order and summarily found him guilty of violating the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.
After awarding the additional damages on November 10, Bellis also froze Jones’s assets by prohibiting sales, transfers, and other attempts to dispose of property until the court releases them. She set a hearing for December 2.
Reactions to the Ruling
Attorney for the families, Christopher M Mattei, said the award recognizes how terrible Jones’s actions were and legitimizes the claims he was responsible for the needless hurt and harm the families suffered after already going through an unthinkable tragedy. According to a statement, the lawyer declared the judgment sends the message that people will face consequences if they lie to make money. He also praised the judge for putting a hold on the Infowars host’s assets, saying it would help ensure the families receive the money due to them.
Jones had a different opinion of the award. On the November 10 airing of the Infowars show, he said the ruling was a “joke” and stated he doesn’t have the money to pay, so it’s funny they think they will ever collect. In the past, the host also has said he plans to appeal.
Jones’s attorney, Norm Pattis, told the Associated Press, “the verdict was tragedy” and called the damages awarded a “farce.” He also said they would appeal and claimed Judge Bellis’ default ruling violated his client’s rights.
Looking Ahead
Jones is far from finished with hearings and rulings against him for the Sandy Hook matter. In 2018, 10 families of 10 children and six adults who died in the shooting filed four cases against the Infowars host. Two of the lawsuits later combined, leaving two in Texas and this one in Connecticut. A Texas court awarded plaintiffs around $50 million in one of those matters, and the other Texas case has yet to go to trial.
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