AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million — significantly less than the $150 million being sought — in compensa…
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas jury Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million — significantly less than the $150 million being sought — in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, marking the first time the Infowars host has been held financially liable for repeatedly claiming the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history was a hoax.
It likely won’t be the last judgment against Jones — who was not in the courtroom — over his claims that the attack was staged in the interests of increasing gun controls. A Connecticut judge has ruled against him in a similar lawsuit brought by other victims’ families and an FBI agent who worked on the case. He also faces another trial in Austin.
The total amount awarded in this case could set a marker for the other lawsuits against Jones and underlines the financial threat he’s facing. It also raises new questions about the ability of Infowars — which has been banned from YouTube, Spotify and Twitter for hate speech — to continue operating, although the company’s finances remain unclear.
A forensic psychiatrist testified that the parents suffer from “complex post-traumatic stress disorder” inflicted by ongoing trauma, similar to what might be experienced by a soldier at war or a child abuse victim.“It seems so incredible to me that we have to do this — that we have to implore you, to punish you — to get you to stop lying,” Lewis told Jones.
Jurors often decline to award any punitive damages after deciding on a compensation figure. But when they choose to, the punitive amount is often higher, Covert said. He said he expects the parents’ attorneys to argue that jurors should send the message that no one should profit off defamation.
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Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created 'living hell'AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Fighting back tears and finally given the chance to confront conspiracy theorist Alex Jones , the parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting described being put through a “living hell” of death threats, harassment and ongoing trauma over the last decade caused by Jones using his media platforms to push claims that it was all a hoax .
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Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones’ claims created ‘living hell’Parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting described being put through a “living hell” of death threats, harassment and ongoing trauma over the last decade caused by Jones using his media platforms to push claims the murders were a hoax.
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Mother of Sandy Hook child confronts conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in court - CNN VideoA parent of one of the twenty children killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting confronted Alex Jones in court about the pain he has caused by promoting conspiracy theories. CNN's Brynn Gingras reports.
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Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created 'living hell'Fighting back tears and finally given the chance to confront conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, the parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting described being put through a “living hell...”
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Sandy Hook parents say Alex Jones ‘lit the flame that started the fire’The parents of one of the 20 children slain in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., took the witness stand in the defamation trial against Alex Jones in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, telling the jury that the Infowars founder was the primary catalyst for spreading the false claim that the 2012 massacre was fake.
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Alex Jones explains plan to stiff Sandy Hook families he defamedOn a recent episode of his podcast, the conspiracy theorist boasted of his scheme to use bankruptcy to tie the families up in litigation.
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