The jury, which announced the partial award on Thursday after several dramatic days in court, is scheduled to hear additional testimony from Mr. Jones and the disinformation outlet Infowars, which will likely include a debate about his clean slate. value and his company. Damages are based on proven harm, loss or injury and are often calculated based on the fair market value of the damaged property, lost wages and expenses, according to Cornell Law School. Punitive damages are designed to punish particularly harmful conduct and tend to be awarded at the court’s discretion and are sometimes multiples of a damages award. Mr. Jones is accused of defaming the families of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, falsely describing them as actors participating in a prank (he acknowledged this week that the shooting was “100 percent real”). The award announced Thursday for Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, died in the attack, was the first of several lawsuits filed by the victims’ parents in 2018. A trial for damages in another of the lawsuits had been scheduled to begin next month in Connecticut, but could be delayed because of the bankruptcy last week of Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars. Lawyers for the families criticized the move as another attempt by Mr Jones to shield his wealth and avoid the crisis. Starting Friday, lawyers for Ms. Lewis and Mr. Heslin are expected to delve into Mr. Jones’ financial situation, calling an economist as an expert witness. This week, they presented records showing that, at one point in 2018, Infowars was making more than $800,000 a day. The parents had sought $150 million in damages.
