What's next for Alex Jones after $49M Sandy Hook verdict?
It's the first time Jones has been held financially liable for repeatedly claiming the Sandy Hook shooting was faked. The messages, including communications about Sandy Hook, were accidentally emailed to the plaintiffs' attorneys by one of Jones' lawyers. Even if prosecutors never pursue a case, Jones could face further consequences from Judge Maya Guerra Gamble. Horton, the Austin lawyer, said the cases could potentially proceed against Jones personally while Free Speech Systems is in bankruptcy court, and he warned that filing for Chapter 11 gives the bankruptcy court tremendous power to examine Jones’ finances. ___Find AP's full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comAlex Jones’ $49.3M verdict and the future of misinformation
For example, saying COVID-19 isn't real is not defamatory, but spreading lies about a doctor treating coronavirus patients is. "Alex Jones was attacking individuals," said Stephen D. Solomon, a law professor and founding editor of New York University's First Amendment Watch. “I am asking you to take the bullhorn away from Alex Jones and all of the others who believe they can profit off of fear and misinformation,” Wesley Ball said in his closing argument Friday. Jones, who has since acknowledged that the shooting was real, has claimed his statements about Sandy Hook were protected by the First Amendment. “They’re intended to have a chilling effect on lies that damage people’s reputations.”___Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak___Find AP's full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comAlex Jones’ $49.3M verdict and the future of misinformation
Alex Jones is facing a hefty price tag for his lies about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre — $49.3 million in damages, and counting, for claiming the nation’s deadliest school shooting was a hoax — a punishing salvo in a fledgling war on harmful misinformation. “I think a lot of people are thinking of this as sort of a blow against fake news, and it’s important to realize that libel law deals with a very particular kind of fake news,” said Eugene Volokh, a First Amendment professor at the UCLA School of Law. U.S. courts have long held that defamatory statements — falsehoods damaging the reputation of a person or a business — aren't protected as free speech, but lies about other subjects, like science, history or the government, are.
news.yahoo.comA jury says Alex Jones should pay $49 million for defaming Sandy Hook parents. He might be ordered to pay only a fraction of that thanks to Texas law.
The jury ordered Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million as punishment for his Sandy Hook lies, but Texas law caps punitive damages at $750,000.
news.yahoo.comA forensic economist testified that Alex Jones began funneling $11,000 per day into an alleged shell company around the time he was found liable by default in defamation suits
On Friday, a jury said Alex Jones should pay $45.2 million in punitive damages after being found liable for defamation.
news.yahoo.comAlex Jones ordered to pay $49.3M total over Sandy Hook lies
read: Alex Jones concedes Sandy Hook attack was ‘100% real’Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. Lies, you pay for.”read: Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created ‘living hell’An economist hired by the plaintiffs testified that Jones and the company are worth up to $270 million, suggesting that Jones was still making money. READ: How Alex Jones’ bombastic behavior impacts him in courtThroughout the trial, Jones has been his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu press conferences and on his show. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press. Lake County 'conspiracy theorist' charged for harassing Sandy Hook victim?s family, deputies say Wolfgang Halbig, 73, is facing charges for allegedly possessing the personal information that belonged to Leonard Pozner, the father of Noah Pozner, one of the Sandy Hook victims.
wftv.comAlex Jones ordered to pay $49.3M total over Sandy Hook lies
Jurors at first awarded Heslin and Lewis $4.1 million in compensatory damages, which Jones called a major victory. The same jury ordered Jones to pay Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis $4.1 million in compensation for defamation. “You are asked to punish Alex Jones," Ball said. Throughout the trial, Jones has been his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu press conferences and on his show. ___Find AP's full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comBarr says Justice Department appears to be "taking a hard look" at Trump and his inner circle
In an exclusive interview with CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge, former Attorney General Bill Barr offered his analysis of the Jan. 6 grand jury investigation and what recent subpoenas for top Trump advisers may mean for the former president.
news.yahoo.comAlex Jones trial: Jury begins deliberating punitive damages in Sandy Hook defamation case
Alex Jones defamation trial Alex Jones is called up to testify at the Travis County Courthouse during the his defamation trial, in Austin, U.S. August 2, 2022. In awarding punitive damages, the verdict must be unanimous. “And that is, stop Alex Jones. Ball asked that the jury award $145.9 million in punitive damages — which would bring the combined total to the $150 million figure that the parents were seeking. The trial was the first of three separate defamation cases against Jones stemming from his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax.
wftv.comEconomist: Alex Jones, his company worth up to $270 million
The same jury ordered Jones to pay Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis $4.1 million in compensation for defamation. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones’ net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. “You are asked to punish Alex Jones," Ball said. Throughout the trial, Jones has been his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu press conferences and on his show. ___Find AP's full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comEconomist: Alex Jones, his company worth up to $270 million
The same jury ordered Jones to pay Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis $4.1 million in compensation for defamation. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones’ net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. “He is a very successful man,” Pettingill said, calling Jones a “maverick” and “revolutionary” for finding ways to monetize his online messaging. Throughout the trial, Jones has been his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu press conferences and on his show. ___Find AP's full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comInfoWars 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.
Alex Jones and his media company have a net worth up to $270 million, forensic economist testifies, saying the conspiracy theorist has monetized 'hate speech'
"As much of a maverick that he is, as much of an outsider that he is, he is a very successful man," the finance expert said of Alex Jones.
news.yahoo.comHow Alex Jones' bombastic behavior impacts him in court
But the bombastic version of Jones was always lurking under the surface, or even on full display away from the courthouse. Jones, who wasn't in court for the verdict, often skipped testimony to appear on his daily Infowars program, where the attacks on the judge and jury continued. When Jones arrived for Lewis' testimony, Gamble asked if he was chewing gum, a violation of a strict rule in her courtroom. At the end of that day, Jones and the parents shook hands. ___Find AP's full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jonesCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comTypically bombastic Alex Jones makes for complicated court
But the bombastic version of Jones was always lurking under the surface, or even on full display away from the courthouse. Jones, who wasn't in court for the verdict, often skipped testimony to appear on his daily Infowars program, where the attacks on the judge and jury continued. When Jones arrived for Lewis' testimony, Gamble asked if he was chewing gum, a violation of a strict rule in her courtroom. “I don’t know what it is designed to accomplish other than being on brand for Alex Jones,” said Goldberg. At the end of that day, Jones and the parents shook hands.
wftv.comAlex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M
Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% real." The parents had sought at least $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Texas award could set a marker for other cases against Jones and underlines the financial threat he's facing. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldn't suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through. At one point in her testimony, Lewis looked directly at Jones, who was sitting barely 10 feet away.
wftv.comAlex Jones must pay $4.1 million to Sandy Hook parents, jury finds
A jury in Texas on Thursday found that the Infowars founder is liable for more than $4 million in compensatory damages for falsely claiming the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax.
news.yahoo.comAlex Jones must pay $4.1 million to Sandy Hook parents, jury finds
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ordered the jury to return Friday, when it will consider punitive damages in the highly-watched case. Gamble admonished Jones several times during the two-week trial for speaking out of turn and going off on unrelated tangents during his testimony. Mark Bankston, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, asked Jones if he was taking the trial seriously. “I think Sandy Hook happened. Both Heslin and Lewis said they have received death threats from people inspired by Jones since the massacre.
wftv.comInfoWars 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 Ordered to Cough Up $4M in Disastrous Sandy Hook Battle
Briana Sanchez/Pool via REUTERSThe Texas jury that conspiracy theorist and InfoWars founder Alex Jones publicly referred to as “extremely blue collar folks” who “don’t know what planet they’re on,” found the online pseudo-celeb liable on Thursday to the tune of $4.11 million for spreading lies about the Sandy Hook school shooting.The verdict means Jones now must pay damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress to the mother and father of Jesse Lewis, a 6-year-old boy k
news.yahoo.comSandy Hook lawyer: Jan. 6 panel asked for Alex Jones' texts
An attorney representing two parents who sued Jones over his false claims about the Sandy Hook massacre says the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee has requested two years’ worth of records from Jones’ phone. He said the records mistakenly sent to him included some medical records of plaintiffs in other lawsuits against Jones. "Mr. Jones and his intimate messages with Roger Stone are not protected,” Bankston said, referring to former President Donald Trump's longtime ally. “We certainly saw text messages from as far back as 2019. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents suing Jones, are seeking at least $150 million in damages.
wftv.comJan. 6 committee requests Alex Jones text messages from Sandy Hook lawyer
Alex Jones' trial at the Travis County Courthouse, Austin, Texas Alex Jones attempts to answer questions about his emails asked by Mark Bankston, lawyer for Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, during trial at the Travis County Courthouse, Austin, Texas, U.S., August 3, 2022. Bankston said in court Thursday that the committee has requested the text messages and related documents, and that he intends to turn them over unless he’s instructed not to do so. "I've been asked to turn them over," Bankston informed Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, who is overseeing the trial in Austin. Bankston said he also intends to share the messages with lawyers for the plaintiffs in a separate defamation trial against Jones in Connecticut. Gamble said she would give Jones’s attorneys time to research whether they have a legal argument to block the transmission of those text messages.
wftv.comSandy Hook attorney: Jan. 6 panel asks for Alex Jones' texts
Newtown Shooting-Infowars Mark Bankston, lawyer for Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, asks Alex Jones questions about text messages during trial at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Wednesday Aug. 3, 2022. Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% real." (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool) (Briana Sanchez)AUSTIN, Texas — (AP) — An attorney representing two parents who sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over his false claims about the Sandy Hook massacre says the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee has requested two years' worth of records from Jones' phone. The House committee did not immediately return a request for comment. A day earlier, Bankston revealed in court that Jones' attorney had mistakenly sent Bankston the last two years' worth of texts from Jones' cellphone.
wftv.comAlex 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.
Alex Jones faces fines for skipping Sandy Hook deposition
A Connecticut judge says Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will be fined for each weekday that passes without him appearing for a deposition in a lawsuit brought by relatives of some victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The superspreaders behind top COVID-19 conspiracy theories
Legitimate questions about the virus created perfect conditions for conspiracy theories. COVID CLAIM: Boyle says the coronavirus is a genetically engineered bioweapon that escaped from a high-level lab in Wuhan, China. COVID CLAIM: Nikulin argues the U.S. created the virus and used it to attack China. He first voiced the belief in a Jan. 20, 2020, story by Zvezda, a state media outlet tied to the Russian military. EVIDENCE: There is no evidence that the U.S. created the virus or used it as a weapon to attack Iran.
Mix of extremists who stormed Capitol isn't retreating
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. Militia members, white supremacists, paramilitary organizations and fervent supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder, unified in rage. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to be prepared for some worst-case scenarios for a while," said Amy Cooter, a senior lecturer in sociology at Vanderbilt University who studies U.S. militia groups. To understand the mix of extremists in the Capitol melee, it helps to look at history. ___This story has been corrected to show that the “Texas Militia” group gathered at the Statehouse in Auston while Trump was at the Texas border.
Self-described American nationalist is held in NYC bomb hoax
NEW YORK – A self-described American nationalist suspected of leaving a hoax explosive device in a car at a New York City mall is facing criminal charges after turning himself in to police, authorities said Tuesday. The mall was evacuated around 7:30 a.m. Monday after a device that was made to look like an explosive was found in a black Tesla parked on a ramp in a parking garage. He mocked media coverage as “fake news” and derided reporters covering his arrest as "morons.”“It was a Tesla car being charged," Shenker said. Another photo showed a Black Lives Matter poster among the items. A video posted to social media showed a man purported to be Shenker threatening to send the Proud Boys and Infowars host Alex Jones after a woman attending the vigil.