The total — $49.3 million — is less than the $150 million sought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six teachers killed in the deadliest classroom shooting in US history. But the trial marks the first time Jones has been held financially responsible for peddling lies about the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut.
Read more: Alex Jones case: Sandy Hook family seeks damages beyond $4.1 million
After the verdict, Lewis said Jones has been held accountable. She said when she took the step and looked Jones in the eye, she thought of her son who was credited with saving lives by yelling “run” when the killer stopped in his rampage. Story continues below ad 1:58 Jury rules Alex Jones owes millions in damages in Sandy Hook defamation case “He stood up to the bully Adam Lanza and saved the lives of nine of his classmates,” Lewis said. “I hope I took that incredible courage when I was able to stand up to Alex Jones, who is also a bully. I hope this inspires other people to do the same.” Earlier this week, Jones testified that any award over $2 million would “sink” us. His company Free Speech Systems, which is the parent company of Infowars, filed for bankruptcy protection during the first week of the trial. Punitive damages are intended to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, in addition to monetary compensation awarded to individuals who were harmed. A high punitive award is also seen as an opportunity for jurors to send a wider social message and a way to deter others from the same heinous behavior in the future. Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment attorney not involved in the Jones case, said Friday’s high punitive award added to Thursday’s compensatory award amounted to a “stunning loss for Jones.” Story continues below ad “At $50 million in total, the jury sent a huge, resounding message that this behavior will not be tolerated,” Covert said. “Anyone with a show like that knowingly lying to them – the judges won’t stand for it.” Future jurors in other pending Sandy Hook trials could look to the award amounts in this case as a benchmark, Covert said. And if other juries do, Covert said, “it could very well put Jones out of business.” The family’s lawyers had urged jurors to impose a financial penalty that would force Inforwars to shut down. 4:11 Alex Jones Admits Sandy Hook Shooter 100% Real, Lawyers Accidentally Reveal His Phone Log Alex Jones Admits Sandy Hook Shooter 100% Real, Lawyers Accidentally Reveal Phone Log of “You have the ability to prevent this man from doing this again,” Wesley Ball, the parents’ attorney, told jurors Friday. “Send the message to those who wish to do the same: Speaking is free. Lies, you pay.” Trending Stories
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Story continues below ad An economist testified Friday that Jones and the company are worth as much as $270 million, suggesting Jones was still making money. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones’ net worth, said records show Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021 when default judgments were entered in lawsuits against him. “That number represents, in my opinion, a net worth value,” Pettingill said. “He’s got money in a bank account somewhere.” The money that flows into Jones’ companies is ultimately funneled back to him, said Pettingill, who added that he has testified in about 1,500 cases during his career. But Jones’ lawyers said their client had already learned his lesson and asked for leniency, saying the punitive amount should be less than $300,000.
Read more: Alex Jones ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution to Sandy Hook parents
“You have already sent a message. A message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts, that their standard of care needs to change,” said Jones’ lead attorney, Andino Reynal. Jones — who was in the courtroom briefly Friday but was not there for the verdict — still faces two other defamation lawsuits from Sandy Hook families in Texas and Connecticut that threaten his personal fortune and empire of media. Story continues below ad Attorneys for the Sandy Hook families who sued Jones allege he tried to hide evidence of his true wealth in various shell companies. During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a note from one of his business managers that described gross revenue of $800,000 a day from the sale of vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which was close to 300 million dollars in a year. Jones called it a record sales day. Jones, who framed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, admitted during the trial that the attack was “100 percent real” and that he was wrong to lie about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology would not be enough and called on them to make Jones pay for the years he suffered at the hands of them and other Sandy Hook families. The parents told jurors how they have endured a decade of trauma, first caused by their son’s murder and what followed: shootings at a home, online and phone threats and street harassment by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers through Infowars. A medical examiner testified that the parents suffer from “complex post-traumatic stress disorder” caused by ongoing trauma, similar to what a soldier in war or a victim of child abuse might experience. Story continues below ad 6:26 Sandy Hook victim’s father calls Alex Jones’s defamation lawsuit apologies ‘worthless’ Sandy Hook victim’s father calls Alex Jones’ defamation lawsuit apologies ‘worthless’ Throughout the trial, Jones was his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu press conferences and on his talk show. His erratic behavior is unusual by courtroom standards and the judge reprimanded him, at one point telling him: “This is not your show.” The trial has drawn attention outside of Austin. Bankston told the court Thursday that the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol requested records from Jones’ phone that Jones’ lawyers had accidentally turned over to prosecutors. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committee’s request.
Read more: ‘Coward’ Alex Jones made my life hell, says father of Sandy Hook victim
Last month, the Jan. 6 committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they fight for Trump. Story continues below ad The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding testimony and documents about his efforts to spread disinformation about the 2020 election and a rally the day of the attack. © 2022 The Canadian Press
