Post by mhbruin on Aug 6, 2022 8:04:34 GMT -8
This is Only the First Civil Suit Against Jones
A Texas jury on Friday ordered Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim, a day after deciding the Infowars host must pay them $4.1 million in compensatory damages for the suffering caused by his lies about the 2012 massacre.
Will the Landslide Bring You Down?
Alex Jones, host and creator of the far-right conspiracy-theory website Infowars, has received what is likely to be only the first of a series of expensive lessons about the importance of fact-checking.
On Thursday, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay $4.1 million in compensatory damages to the parents of one child murdered in the Sandy Hook massacre. The parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, had sued Jones for defamation after Jones accused them of faking the death of their son in order to attack gun rights.
On Friday, in addition to the $4.1 million, meant to compensate Heslin and Lewis for the emotional trauma they suffered, the jury determined Jones would also have to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded against defendants to punish them for their bad behavior.
This is not only a large blow to Jones, who has already filed for bankruptcy, but to other conspiracy-theory fomenters who fill their audiences’ heads with stories of the deep state, a stolen election and a child-sex ring in the basement of a pizza restaurant.
Jones styles himself as a media broadcaster, and the media has historically been given a lot of latitude in publishing statements that are even partially false. That latitude has helped modern partisan news sites like Newsmax and Breitbart to use their platforms to spread outlandish theories with impunity.
But after the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection, individuals and companies have started to push back against media outlets that spread false information. Their weapon of choice is the defamation suit.
Fox News is currently being sued for $1.6 billion by Dominion Voting Systems for Fox News’ claim that Dominion voting machines helped to rig the 2020 presidential election. The verdict against Jones should serve as a warning to the network and all the other conspiracy-peddlers out there. Repeating nonsense theories from 4chan or Reddit may not be protected free speech even if you attempt to disguise it as “questioning known liars in the media.”
How Much Will This Hurt?
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his company Free Speech Systems are worth up to $270 million, an economist testified Friday to a jury trying to determine if Jones should have to pay punitive damages to the family of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
Defend Scum and This Might Happen
The lawyer defending conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in a Texas trial drew his own national headlines this week for accidentally handing over highly-sensitive data to his adversaries, opening him up to potential legal consequences.
Houston lawyer Federico Andino Reynal acknowledged that Jones' legal team had provided lawyers for parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting with a digital copy of the Infowars founder’s phone contents, which included text messages and medical records.
The disclosure was made public by a lawyer for the parents in a dramatic exchange with Jones as the trial neared its close. [nL1N2ZG1XS]
The revelation may have exposed Reynal to sanctions in a different case, as well as the potential for malpractice claims by Jones, according to court documents and lawyers following the trial. Jones could pursue a malpractice claim against his attorneys, but would have to prove that he would have had a better result from the Texas trial if the phone information hadn't been handed over, said Randy Johnston, a legal malpractice lawyer in Dallas.
Hey Alex. Soros Has Lawyers. Lots of Them. Good Ones.
Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has blamed George Soros after he was ordered to pay $50 million in damages over comments he made about the 2012 shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Jones said in a Friday broadcast that Soros had joined other "operatives" in coordinating the trial, though did not specify any names. He also accused Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of being a "blue-haired SJW" and claimed she "altered the record of the trial."
"This is beyond any kangaroo rigged court ever," Jones claimed without evidence.
A Texas jury on Friday ordered Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim, a day after deciding the Infowars host must pay them $4.1 million in compensatory damages for the suffering caused by his lies about the 2012 massacre.
Will the Landslide Bring You Down?
Alex Jones, host and creator of the far-right conspiracy-theory website Infowars, has received what is likely to be only the first of a series of expensive lessons about the importance of fact-checking.
On Thursday, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay $4.1 million in compensatory damages to the parents of one child murdered in the Sandy Hook massacre. The parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, had sued Jones for defamation after Jones accused them of faking the death of their son in order to attack gun rights.
On Friday, in addition to the $4.1 million, meant to compensate Heslin and Lewis for the emotional trauma they suffered, the jury determined Jones would also have to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded against defendants to punish them for their bad behavior.
This is not only a large blow to Jones, who has already filed for bankruptcy, but to other conspiracy-theory fomenters who fill their audiences’ heads with stories of the deep state, a stolen election and a child-sex ring in the basement of a pizza restaurant.
Jones styles himself as a media broadcaster, and the media has historically been given a lot of latitude in publishing statements that are even partially false. That latitude has helped modern partisan news sites like Newsmax and Breitbart to use their platforms to spread outlandish theories with impunity.
But after the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection, individuals and companies have started to push back against media outlets that spread false information. Their weapon of choice is the defamation suit.
Fox News is currently being sued for $1.6 billion by Dominion Voting Systems for Fox News’ claim that Dominion voting machines helped to rig the 2020 presidential election. The verdict against Jones should serve as a warning to the network and all the other conspiracy-peddlers out there. Repeating nonsense theories from 4chan or Reddit may not be protected free speech even if you attempt to disguise it as “questioning known liars in the media.”
How Much Will This Hurt?
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his company Free Speech Systems are worth up to $270 million, an economist testified Friday to a jury trying to determine if Jones should have to pay punitive damages to the family of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
Defend Scum and This Might Happen
The lawyer defending conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in a Texas trial drew his own national headlines this week for accidentally handing over highly-sensitive data to his adversaries, opening him up to potential legal consequences.
Houston lawyer Federico Andino Reynal acknowledged that Jones' legal team had provided lawyers for parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting with a digital copy of the Infowars founder’s phone contents, which included text messages and medical records.
The disclosure was made public by a lawyer for the parents in a dramatic exchange with Jones as the trial neared its close. [nL1N2ZG1XS]
The revelation may have exposed Reynal to sanctions in a different case, as well as the potential for malpractice claims by Jones, according to court documents and lawyers following the trial. Jones could pursue a malpractice claim against his attorneys, but would have to prove that he would have had a better result from the Texas trial if the phone information hadn't been handed over, said Randy Johnston, a legal malpractice lawyer in Dallas.
Hey Alex. Soros Has Lawyers. Lots of Them. Good Ones.
Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has blamed George Soros after he was ordered to pay $50 million in damages over comments he made about the 2012 shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Jones said in a Friday broadcast that Soros had joined other "operatives" in coordinating the trial, though did not specify any names. He also accused Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of being a "blue-haired SJW" and claimed she "altered the record of the trial."
"This is beyond any kangaroo rigged court ever," Jones claimed without evidence.