Alex Jones, known for promoting conspiracy theories, is shown giving testimony at the Sandy Hook defamation damages trial held at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn., on September 22, 2022.
Tyler Sizemore/Pool Hearst Connecticut Media/AP
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Tyler Sizemore/Pool Hearst Connecticut Media/AP
WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Alex Jones, the controversial Infowars host, thereby upholding a $1.court-rejects-alex-jones-defamation-appeal/” title=”Supreme … Rejects …' Bid to Overturn … Verdict | …s News”>4 billion judgment against him. This ruling stems from his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was fabricated using actors.
Jones had contended that the court erred in holding him responsible for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress without conducting a full trial on the substantive claims brought by the families of the victims. The tragic shooting resulted in the deaths of 20 young children and six staff members in Newtown, Connecticut.
The Supreme Court issued its decision without providing any explanation and did so without soliciting input from the Sandy Hook families involved in the case. Additionally, an FBI agent who responded to the tragedy had also filed a lawsuit against Jones.
Christopher Mattei, an attorney representing the Sandy Hook families, praised the Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain Jones’ appeal, describing it as a rightful dismissal of his “latest desperate effort to evade responsibility for the damage he has inflicted.”
“We are eager to enforce the jury’s landmark verdict and ensure that Jones and Infowars are held accountable for their actions,” Mattei stated.
Attempts to reach Jones’ legal team for comment were unsuccessful. On his daily broadcast Tuesday, Jones expressed confidence that his case was straightforward, while also predicting that the Supreme Court would decline to review his appeal.
“I said no, they won’t take it because of political reasons,” Jones remarked.
He ridiculed the notion that he possesses sufficient assets to satisfy the judgment, estimating that his production equipment, including cameras that are several years old, is valued at roughly $304,000.
“This is all about tormenting me, harassing my family, and silencing my voice,” Jones said, urging his audience to purchase merchandise to support his show’s continuation.
Jones filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2022, with his attorneys informing the court that the plaintiffs are unlikely to recover the full amount awarded.
Separately, Jones is appealing a $49 million verdict in Texas related to another defamation suit after failing to comply with discovery requests from the parents of a different Sandy Hook victim.
In the Connecticut litigation, the presiding judge issued a rare default judgment against Jones and his company in late 2021, citing his repeated noncompliance with court orders and refusal to provide evidence to the Sandy Hook families. A jury was then tasked with determining the damages owed.
The jury awarded $964 million in damages, and the judge subsequently added $473 million in punitive damages against Jones and Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars based in Austin, Texas.
In November, the satirical publication The Onion was declared the winning bidder in an auction to sell Infowars’ assets to help satisfy the defamation judgments. However, the bankruptcy judge invalidated the auction results due to procedural issues and concerns about The Onion’s bid.
The effort to liquidate Infowars’ assets has since shifted to a Texas state court in Austin. Jones is currently appealing a recent court order appointing a receiver to oversee the sale of these assets. Additionally, some of Jones’ personal belongings are being sold as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
