Connecticut’s state appeals court said on Friday that a $965m sentence from 2022 against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was “sufficient evidence” to support the damages awarded to relatives. Sandy Hook school massacre victims and an FBI agent.
In his opinion, the judge cited the “traumatic threats and harassment” of the family “as a result of a lie, propagated by the defendants” that the Sandy Hook massacre was a prank.
“Our review of the document indicates that there is sufficient evidence to support them.” [$965m] in the compensatory damages awarded by the jury,” according to the 62-page decision. He notes that the jury trial in Connecticut history
An appeals court relaxed Jones’s award by $150m. It determined that the plaintiffs “fail to state a legally viable” claim under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and that the $150m in punitive damages awarded by the lower court should be vacated, noting that the plaintiffs alleged injury from false language and not related speech. such as advertising, marketing or selling goods.
“We’re relieved that the court upheld the press with its decision to award damages to plaintiffs claiming unfair trade practices, but we’re otherwise disappointed,” Norm Pattis, Jones’ attorney, said in a statement. He said the jurors in the case were “sold a bill of goods and were led to believe” Jones made millions spreading conspiracy theories about the mass shooting of Sandy Hook.
“He didn’t. The jury was also encouraged to believe that all the pain that happened to the plaintiffs was the fault of Mr. Jones. It wasn’t,” said Pattis. He didn’t.”
Jones owes a total of about $1.2bn, including $965m to families in Connecticut and about $50m donated by a Texas judge to the parents of the Sandy Hook boy who was killed.
Jones filed for personal bankruptcy in 2022, and the sale of the Infowars platform is part of the lawsuit. A bid by Buy the Onion’s satirical news outlet Infowars He is scheduled to return to the Texas courtroom on Monday, where a judge will decide whether the bankruptcy auction will proceed properly. Jones alleges embezzlement and fraud.
Lawyers for Sandy Hook families hailed the Connecticut appeals court on Friday as a major victory.
“Today, Alex Jones’ attempt to overturn a historic jury verdict against him and his corrupt business, Infowars, was unanimously rejected by a Connecticut appeals court,” the lawyers said in a statement. “Juries will award Jones $965m in damages, and the family, who fought valiantly for years, brought Alex Jones another step closer to true justice.”
Pattis said he will ask the Connecticut state supreme court to review the appeals decision.
Jones has repeatedly told millions of his students about the 2012 massacre that killed 20 first-graders and six educators from mocking “crisis managers” to more gun control.
The appeals court also ruled that the lower court “properly exercised its discretion” in finding Jones and Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems LLC, liable for damages in default for failing to cooperate with court rules on sharing evidence.