The US Supreme Court Upholds $1.4 Billion Judgment Against Alex Jones
The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, allowing a $1.4 billion (€1.2 billion) judgment against him to stand. This judgment was issued over his claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors.
Jones, the host of Infowars, had argued that a judge was incorrect in finding him liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without holding a trial on the merits of the allegations made by the families of the victims. The shooting resulted in the deaths of 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut.
The Supreme Court did not provide any explanation for its decision, which it issued without even asking the families of the Sandy Hook victims to respond to Jones’ appeal. An FBI agent who responded to the shooting also filed a lawsuit against Jones.
A lawyer representing the families of the Sandy Hook victims stated that the Supreme Court had correctly rejected Jones’ “latest desperate attempt to avoid accountability for the harm he has caused.”
“We look forward to enforcing the jury’s historic verdict and making Jones and Infowars pay for what they have done,” said lawyer Christopher Mattei in a statement.
Jones’ legal team did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the matter.
Financial Struggles and Ongoing Legal Battles
Jones filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, and his lawyers have argued that the plaintiffs have no hope of collecting the full judgment. He is also appealing a $49 million (€42 million) judgment in a similar defamation lawsuit in Texas after failing to turn over documents requested by the parents of another Sandy Hook victim.
In the Connecticut case, a judge issued a rare default ruling against Jones and his company in late 2021 due to repeated failures to comply with court orders and to provide specific evidence to the Sandy Hook families. The judge then convened a jury to determine how much Jones would owe.
The following year, the jury awarded $946 million (€814 million) and the judge added another $473 million (€407 million) in punitive damages against Jones and Free Speech Systems, Infowars’ parent company based in Austin, Texas.
In November, the satirical news outlet The Onion was named the winning bidder in an auction to liquidate Infowars’ assets to help pay the defamation judgments. However, the bankruptcy judge dismissed the auction results, citing issues with the process and The Onion’s bid.
The effort to sell Infowars’ assets has now moved to a Texas state court in Austin. Jones is currently appealing a recent court order that appointed a receiver to liquidate the company’s assets. Some of Jones’ personal property is also being sold as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.