A jury in Connecticut ordered Jones to pay nearly $1 billion for defaming the families of eight mass shooting victims and an FBI agent. The decision came after a tumultuous trial that saw Jones apologize for spreading false claims about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The damages are split between 15 people.
Jones was sued by a group of families who lost loved ones at Sandy Hook. Jones lost the case when he refused to cooperate, so the trial determined the damages he owed. There will be a third trial in Texas.
The family members described years of harassment after they were accused of faking the shooting. It was almost like I knew when Alex Jones said something because we would get a lot of stuff. Lawyers for the families argued that Jones made millions of dollars by lying about the attack.
During the trial, Judge Barbara Bellis threatened to hold Jones in contempt if she didn't like what she saw. He held an unsanctioned press conference outside the courthouse, potentially within the range of jurors who had been told not to look at the case outside the courtroom.
Unlike an earlier case in Texas, where a jury handed down a $45.2 million fine that will likely be reduced, Connecticut does not limit the damages in defamation cases. Free Speech Systems filed for Chapter 11 before the trial in order to shield millions of dollars from the court system.
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