Alex Jones lawyer suspended 6 months over records release
HARTFORD, Conn. — (AP) — A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been suspended from practicing law in Connecticut for six months for improperly giving other Jones' attorneys in Texas confidential documents, including the medical records of relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Bellis said New Haven-based lawyer Norm Pattis failed to safeguard the families' sensitive records in violation of her order that limited access to the documents to attorneys in the Connecticut case. During a hearing in August over possible discipline for the records release, Pattis invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions. Bellis limited access of the records to lawyers in the Connecticut case. The Texas case went to trial in the summer and resulted in Jones being ordered to pay the parents nearly $50 million in damages.
wftv.comAlex Jones lawyer suspended 6 months over records release
A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been suspended from practicing law in Connecticut for six months for improperly giving other Jones' attorneys in Texas confidential documents, including the medical records of relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The ruling by Judge Barbara Bellis on Thursday afternoon came in the families' lawsuit against Jones for repeatedly calling the shooting a hoax on his Infowars show, which resulted in Jones being ordered to pay more than $1.4 billion in damages after a jury trial in Connecticut last year.
news.yahoo.comAlex Jones' motion to set aside Sandy Hook verdict denied
A Connecticut judge on Thursday denied Infowars host Alex Jones' motion seeking a new trial and the overturning of a jury verdict requiring him to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families, said in a statement that the court “has now affirmed the jury’s historic and just rebuke of Alex Jones.” Jones' attorney Norm Pattis called it “an expected and disappointing decision" and said they would be heading to the appellate courts.
news.yahoo.comJudge allows Sandy Hook cases against Jones to proceed
Cases can move forward against Alex Jones regarding the nearly $1.5 billion he's ordered to pay families of Sandy Hook victims over his conspiracy theories about the 2012 school massacre, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled Monday, but the families can't yet pursue collection efforts against the Infowars host. Judge Christopher Lopez approved an order that attorneys for Jones, his media company and the Sandy Hook families had all agreed to. The order lifts a stay that automatically halted the cases when Jones filed for bankruptcy.
news.yahoo.comSandy Hook anniversary: President declares National Day of Remembrance
It’s been 10 years since 20 first graders and six teachers were killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut. >> Read more trending newsTo remember those lives lost, President Joe Biden has declared Dec. 14 as a national day of remembrance. For others, it has meant starting foundations or programs that honor those they lost.”One of the foundations is the Sandy Hook Promise. The group, started by several family members, tries to honor all victims of gun violence. The anniversary comes weeks after court rulings against Alex Jones and his Infowars website where he said that Sandy Hook was a hoax.
wftv.comAlex Jones Goes to War With Kanye West and Nick Fuentes Over ‘Homoerotic’ Hitler Fascination
Zach Roberts/Getty ImagesFar-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has gone to war against white nationalist Nick Fuentes and Kanye West.The boiling over of tensions follows Jones hosting the duo on his show last week, where the now-infamous rapper proclaimed his “love” for Hitler.On Tuesday morning, however, Jones attempted to distance himself from West and Fuentes while being interviewed by right-wing YouTuber Steve Crowder. One of Jones's central claims was his argument that Fuentes and West h
news.yahoo.comInfowars host Alex Jones files for personal bankruptcy
HOUSTON — (AP) — Infowars host Alex Jones filed for personal bankruptcy protection in Texas on Friday as he faces nearly $1.5 billion in court judgments over conspiracy theories he spread about the Sandy Hook school massacre. Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in bankruptcy court in Houston. Earlier in the year, a Texas jury awarded the parents of a child killed in the shooting $49 million in damages. The comments contradicted the testimony of a forensic economist at the Texas trial, who said Jones and his company Free Speech Systems have a combined net worth as high as $270 million. Free Speech Systems is also seeking bankruptcy protection.
wftv.comSandy Hook families sued Alex Jones. Then he started moving money around.
Alex Jones was losing in court. Parents of children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School had sued him and his media company for defamation after he repeatedly claimed the 2012 massacre in Connecticut was a hoax. Fans of the Infowars host had harassed and threatened grieving families. By the summer of 2020, two of the lawsuits weren't going his way.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. As the potential for damages mounted,
news.yahoo.comMusk restores Trump's Twitter account after online poll
Elon Musk has reinstated Donald Trump’s account on Twitter, reversing a ban that has kept the former president off the social media site since a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was poised to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
Alex Jones ordered to pay $473M more to Sandy Hook families
Connecticut Judge Barabara Bellis imposed the punitive damages on the Infowars host and Free Speech Systems. Six jurors ordered Jones to pay $965 million to compensate the 15 plaintiffs for defamation, infliction of emotional distress and violations of the unfair trade act. After the unusual "default" ruling, the jury was tasked only with deciding on the amount of compensatory damages and whether punitive damages were warranted. Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said he hoped the punitive damages awarded Thursday send a message to conspiracy theorists who profit from lies. But there is no cap on punitive damages for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
wftv.comAlex Jones ordered to pay $473M more to Sandy Hook families
Infowars host Alex Jones and his company were ordered by a judge Thursday to pay an extra $473 million for promoting false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook school massacre, bringing the total judgment against him in a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families to a staggering $1.44 billion. Connecticut Judge Barabara Bellis imposed the punitive damages on the Infowars host and Free Speech Systems. Jones repeatedly told his millions of followers t he massacre that killed 20 first graders and six educators was staged by “crisis actors” to enact more gun control.
news.yahoo.comAlex Jones's Assets Are Frozen by Judge in Sandy Hook Case
(Bloomberg) -- Infowars host Alex Jones was temporarily blocked from transferring any assets or spending money other than for ordinary living expenses by the judge overseeing the Sandy Hook defamation trial in Connecticut.Most Read from BloombergMusk’s First Email to Twitter Staff Ends Remote WorkSam Bankman-Fried’s $16 Billion Fortune Is Eviscerated in DaysUS Inflation Slows More Than Forecast, Gives Fed Downshift RoomFTX Warns of Bankruptcy Without Rescue for $8 Billion ShortfallMeta to Cut 11
news.yahoo.comLawyer: Punishment needed for Alex Jones' Sandy Hook claims
A lawyer for Sandy Hook families said Monday that significant punitive damages need to be imposed on Alex Jones to deter him and other conspiracy theorists from continuing to tell their followers the 2012 Newtown shooting was a hoax, in addition to the nearly $1 billion he already has been ordered to pay victims' relatives. Attorney Christopher Mattei's comments came during a video conference hearing before a Connecticut judge on how much punitive damages the Infowars host and his company, Free Speech Systems, should pay victims' families. In a hypothetical calculation, the families' lawyers say punitive damages could total $2.75 trillion, but they have not asked for a specific amount.
news.yahoo.comAlex Jones trial moves to punitive damages phase
The jury also said punitive damages should be awarded. “Justice requires that the Court’s punitive damages award, punish and deter this evil conduct,” attorneys Alinor Sterling, Christopher Mattei and Joshua Koskoff wrote in a motion. “Only a punitive damages assessment of historic size will serve those purposes.”Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, has asked the judge not to award any punitive damages under the Unfair Trade Practices Act. Although punitive damages are generally limited to attorneys’ fees for defamation and infliction of emotional distress, there are no such limits for punitive damages under that act. They also said punitive damages for violations of the unfair trade practices law typically are multiple times more than compensatory damages.
wftv.comAlex Jones trial moves to punitive damages phase
The jury also said punitive damages should be awarded. “Justice requires that the Court’s punitive damages award, punish and deter this evil conduct,” attorneys Alinor Sterling, Christopher Mattei and Joshua Koskoff wrote in a motion. “Only a punitive damages assessment of historic size will serve those purposes.”Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, is arguing that any punitive damages should be minimal, in part because the $1 billion compensatory damages award is the functional equivalent of punitive damages due to its extremely large amount. Although punitive damages are generally limited to attorneys' fees for defamation and infliction of emotional distress, there are no such limits for punitive damages under the Unfair Trade Practices Act. They also said punitive damages for violations of the unfair trade practices law typically are multiple times more than compensatory damages.
wftv.comNets owner Joe Tsai condemns Kyrie Irving's tweeting of antisemitic video
Kyrie Irving's latest venture into conspiracy theories and controversy has drawn condemnation from Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai and his own team for its clear antisemitism. A day after Irving tweeted the link, Tsai posted a response outright stating the movie to be "full of anti-semitic disinformation" and suggested Irving had promoted hate. I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. The Nets have been navigating Irving's extracurricular activities for a while, but have never gone as far as Tsai outright calling him out for spreading antisemitic disinformation. What further action that leads to, either on the Nets' part or Irving's, remains to be seen.
wftv.comMusk took over Twitter. Then some users began testing chaos
Shortly after Elon Musk took control of Twitter, some conservative personalities wasted no time to jump on the platform and recirculate long-debunked conspiracy theories in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to “test” whether Twitter’s policies on misinformation were still being enforced.
Jan. 6 trial highlights missed warnings before Capitol siege
The seditious conspiracy trial against the Oath Keepers founder and four associates is raising fresh questions about intelligence failures in the run-up to the Capitol riot that appear to have allowed the anti-government group and other extremists to mobilize in plain sight.
Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1B Sandy Hook verdict
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday, but said he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families will be filing a brief opposing Jones' request. Twenty first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the attack on Dec. 14, 2012. The verdicts came after another jury in Texas in August ordered Jones and his company to pay nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of another slain Sandy Hook child. A third trial over the hoax claims, involving two more Sandy Hook parents, is expected to be held near the end of the year in Texas. Pattis, Jones' lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly connecting Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.
wftv.comAlex Jones seeks new trial after $1B Sandy Hook verdict
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday, but said he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families will be filing a brief opposing Jones' request. Twenty first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the attack on Dec. 14, 2012. The verdicts came after another jury in Texas in August ordered Jones and his company to pay nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of another slain Sandy Hook child. A third trial over the hoax claims, involving two more Sandy Hook parents, is expected to be held near the end of the year in Texas. Pattis, Jones' lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly connecting Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.
wftv.comAlex Jones seeks new trial after $1B Sandy Hook verdict
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has asked a Connecticut judge to throw out a nearly $1 billion verdict against him and order a new trial in a lawsuit by Sandy Hook families, who say they were subjected to harassment and threats from Jones' lies about the 2012 Newtown school shooting. Jones filed the requests Friday, saying Judge Barbara Bellis' pretrial rulings resulted in an unfair trial and “a substantial miscarriage of justice.” “Additionally, the amount of the compensatory damages award exceeds any rational relationship to the evidence offered at trial," Jones' lawyers, Norm Pattis and Kevin Smith, wrote in the motion.
news.yahoo.com$1B judgment against Alex Jones not the final word
The nearly $1 billion judgment against Alex Jones for spreading false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre bought long-sought relief to family members and hopes the eye-popping figure would deter people from broadcasting falsehoods.
Lawyers: Arizona GOP chair pleaded Fifth to Jan. 6 panel
An attorney for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol told a federal judge in Phoenix on Tuesday that Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward refused to answer the committee’s questions at a deposition.
Sandy Hook families testify about threats, fear of deniers
Two parents of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre and the daughter of the school’s slain principal testified Wednesday of the fear and pain they have suffered from being targeted with threats by those who believe the lie that the shooting was a hoax.
Sandy Hook witnesses testify about Alex Jones' hoax claims
A sister of a teacher killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre and an FBI agent who responded to the shooting have both emotionally described what it has been like to be accused of being crisis actors by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and others.
Alex Jones lawyer takes the Fifth during Sandy Hook hearing
A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones invoked his right against self-incrimination during a civil court hearing in Connecticut over the possible improper disclosure of confidential medical records of relatives of some of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
InfoWars host Alex Jones ordered to pay $49.3M total over Sandy Hook lies
A Texas jury has ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he has to pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nation’s deadliest school shooting was a hoax.
InfoWars host Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M
A Texas jury has ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over Jones' repeated public claims that the attack was a hoax.
Alex Jones' media company files for bankruptcy amid trial
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ media company Free Speech Systems has filed for bankruptcy, but his attorney says it shouldn't disrupt the defamation damages trial underway in Texas that seeks to force Jones to pay $150 million or more to the family of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School attack.
Detective: Alex Jones 'most dangerous' type of attack denier
An attorney for the parents of one of the children who were killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting told jurors that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones repeatedly “lied and attacked the parents of murdered children” when he told his Infowars audience that the 2012 attack was a hoax.