They just need to tack on another few hundred million onto Jones payment order and call it justice served. Maybe kick Lanza's dad in the balls too, he has a hand in this. Will make us all feel better.
Alex Jones
- Thread starter Tecumsehsbones
- Start date
Just as hard as it is for you, apparently.
Hell no, I'll admit there's thinks I have opinions on I don't know *everything* about. When I do have blanks, I at least try to look into it more. But I also try to stay away from topics I'm not interested in/more than half informed on.
LOL - yes, yes, because your perception of reality is so much better.
Keep denying and supporting people like Jonesy (even though you say you aren't).
Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dave Collins
Publishing date:Oct 22, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 3 minute read • 5 Comments
HARTFORD, Conn. — 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.
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.
An FBI agent who responded to the shooting and relatives of eight children and adults killed in the massacre sued Jones for defamation and infliction of emotional distress over his pushing the bogus narrative that the shooting was a hoax staged by “crisis actors” to impose more gun control.
Six jurors in Waterbury, Connecticut, ordered Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, on Oct. 12 to pay $965 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiffs and said punitive damages also should be awarded. Bellis has scheduled hearings for early next month to determine the amount of the punitive damages.
During the trial, victims’ relatives said in often-emotional testimony that they were threatened and harassed for years by people who believed the lies told on Jones’ show. Strangers showed up at the families’ homes to record them and confronted them in public. People hurled abusive comments on social media. Relatives said they received death and rape threats.
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.
Jones, who has acknowledged in recent years that the shooting did occur, has blasted the lawsuits and trials on his Austin, Texas-based Infowars show, calling them unfair and a violation of his free speech rights.
But he lost his right to present those defences when the judges in Connecticut and Texas found him liable for damages by default without trials, for what they called Jones’ repeated failures to turn over some evidence including financial documents and website analytics to the Sandy Hook lawyers.
With liability already established, the trials in both states focused only on how much Jones should pay in damages.
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. Pattis said the trial resembled a “memorial service, not a trial.”
“Yes, the families in this case suffered horribly as a result of the murder of their children,” Pattis wrote, adding that Jones did not send people to harass and threaten the families.
“There was no competent evidence offered at this trial that he ever did,” he wrote. “Instead, there was a shocking abuse of a disciplinary default and its transformation into a series of half-truths that misled a jury and resulted in substantial injustice.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dave Collins
Publishing date:Oct 22, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 3 minute read • 5 Comments
HARTFORD, Conn. — 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.
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.
An FBI agent who responded to the shooting and relatives of eight children and adults killed in the massacre sued Jones for defamation and infliction of emotional distress over his pushing the bogus narrative that the shooting was a hoax staged by “crisis actors” to impose more gun control.
Six jurors in Waterbury, Connecticut, ordered Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, on Oct. 12 to pay $965 million in compensatory damages to the plaintiffs and said punitive damages also should be awarded. Bellis has scheduled hearings for early next month to determine the amount of the punitive damages.
During the trial, victims’ relatives said in often-emotional testimony that they were threatened and harassed for years by people who believed the lies told on Jones’ show. Strangers showed up at the families’ homes to record them and confronted them in public. People hurled abusive comments on social media. Relatives said they received death and rape threats.
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.
Jones, who has acknowledged in recent years that the shooting did occur, has blasted the lawsuits and trials on his Austin, Texas-based Infowars show, calling them unfair and a violation of his free speech rights.
But he lost his right to present those defences when the judges in Connecticut and Texas found him liable for damages by default without trials, for what they called Jones’ repeated failures to turn over some evidence including financial documents and website analytics to the Sandy Hook lawyers.
With liability already established, the trials in both states focused only on how much Jones should pay in damages.
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. Pattis said the trial resembled a “memorial service, not a trial.”
“Yes, the families in this case suffered horribly as a result of the murder of their children,” Pattis wrote, adding that Jones did not send people to harass and threaten the families.
“There was no competent evidence offered at this trial that he ever did,” he wrote. “Instead, there was a shocking abuse of a disciplinary default and its transformation into a series of half-truths that misled a jury and resulted in substantial injustice.”
Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1 billion 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.
Alex Jones ordered to pay $473M more to Sandy Hook families
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dave Collins
Publishing date:Nov 10, 2022 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read • 6 Comments
HARTFORD, Conn. — 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 Barbara Bellis imposed the punitive damages on the Infowars host and Free Speech Systems. Jones repeatedly told his millions of followers the massacre that killed 20 first graders and six educators was staged by “crisis actors” to enact more gun control.
“The record clearly supports the plaintiffs’ argument that the defendants’ conduct was intentional and malicious, and certain to cause harm by virtue of their infrastructure, ability to spread content, and massive audience including the infowarriors,” the judge wrote in a 45-page ruling.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said he hopes the award sends a message to conspiracy theorists who profit from lies.
“The Court recognized the ‘intentional, malicious … and heinous’ conduct of Mr. Jones and his business entities,” Mattei said in a statement.
On his show Thursday, Jones called the award “ridiculous” and a “joke” and said he has little money to pay the damages.
“Well, of course I’m laughing at it,” he said. “It’d be like if you sent me a bill for a billion dollars in the mail. Oh man, we got you. It’s all for psychological effect. It’s all the Wizard of Oz … when they know full well the bankruptcy going on and all the rest of it, that it’ll show what I’ve got and that’s it, and I have almost nothing.”
Eight victims’ relatives and the FBI agent testified during a monthlong trial about being threatened and harassed for years by people who deny the shooting happened. Strangers showed up at some of their homes and confronted some of them in public. People hurled abusive comments at them on social media and in emails. Some received death and rape threats.
Six jurors ordered Jones to pay $965 million to compensate the 15 plaintiffs for defamation, infliction of emotional distress and violations of Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Jones, who lives and works in Austin, Texas, has bashed the trial as unfair and an assault on free speech rights. He says he will appeal the verdicts. He also has said he doesn’t have the money to pay such huge verdicts, because he has less than $2 million to his name — which contradicted testimony at a similar trial in Texas. Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Jones said Thursday that he has only a “couple hundred thousand dollars” in his savings account.
Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, wrote in a text message to the The Associated Press, “To paraphrase Karl Marx, the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work on appeal that much easier.”
Bellis found Jones and Infowars’ parent company liable for damages without a trial last year, as a consequence for what she called his repeated failures to turn over many financial documents and other records to the plaintiffs. After the unusual “default” ruling, the jury was tasked only with deciding on the amount of compensatory damages and whether punitive damages were warranted.
Jones says that he turned over thousands of documents and that the default ruling deprived him of his right to present a defense against the lawsuit.
The punitive damages include about $323 million for the plaintiffs’ attorney fees and costs and $150 million for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In Connecticut, punitive damages for defamation and infliction of emotional distress are generally limited to plaintiffs’ legal fees. The Sandy Hook plaintiffs’ lawyers are to get one-third of the $965 million in compensatory damages under a retainer agreement.
But there is no cap on punitive damages for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act. The plaintiffs had not asked for a specific amount of punitive damages, but under one hypothetical calculation they said such damages could be around $2.75 trillion under the law.
In a similar trial in Texas in August, Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of another child killed in the Sandy Hook shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. A forensic economist testified during that trial that Jones and Free Speech Systems have a combined net worth as high as $270 million.
Jones hawks nutritional supplements, survival gear and other products on his show, which airs on the Infowars website and dozens of radio stations. Evidence at the Connecticut trial showed his sales spiked around a time he talked about the Sandy Hook shooting, leading the plaintiffs’ lawyers to say he was profiting off the tragedy.
In documents recently filed in Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy case in Texas, a budget for the company for Oct. 29 to Nov. 25 estimated product sales would total $2.5 million, while operating expenses would be about $740,000. Jones’ salary was listed at $20,000 every two weeks.
On Wednesday, Bellis, the Connecticut judge, ordered Jones to not move any of his assets out of the country, as the families seek to attach his holdings to secure money for the damages. Jones, meanwhile, has asked the judge to order a new trial or at least reduce the compensatory damages to a “nominal” amount.
A third and final trial over Jones’ hoax claims is expected to begin around the end of the year in Texas. As in Connecticut, Jones was found liable for damages without trials in both Texas cases because he failed to turned over many records to the plaintiffs.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dave Collins
Publishing date:Nov 10, 2022 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read • 6 Comments
HARTFORD, Conn. — 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 Barbara Bellis imposed the punitive damages on the Infowars host and Free Speech Systems. Jones repeatedly told his millions of followers the massacre that killed 20 first graders and six educators was staged by “crisis actors” to enact more gun control.
“The record clearly supports the plaintiffs’ argument that the defendants’ conduct was intentional and malicious, and certain to cause harm by virtue of their infrastructure, ability to spread content, and massive audience including the infowarriors,” the judge wrote in a 45-page ruling.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said he hopes the award sends a message to conspiracy theorists who profit from lies.
“The Court recognized the ‘intentional, malicious … and heinous’ conduct of Mr. Jones and his business entities,” Mattei said in a statement.
On his show Thursday, Jones called the award “ridiculous” and a “joke” and said he has little money to pay the damages.
“Well, of course I’m laughing at it,” he said. “It’d be like if you sent me a bill for a billion dollars in the mail. Oh man, we got you. It’s all for psychological effect. It’s all the Wizard of Oz … when they know full well the bankruptcy going on and all the rest of it, that it’ll show what I’ve got and that’s it, and I have almost nothing.”
Eight victims’ relatives and the FBI agent testified during a monthlong trial about being threatened and harassed for years by people who deny the shooting happened. Strangers showed up at some of their homes and confronted some of them in public. People hurled abusive comments at them on social media and in emails. Some received death and rape threats.
Six jurors ordered Jones to pay $965 million to compensate the 15 plaintiffs for defamation, infliction of emotional distress and violations of Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Jones, who lives and works in Austin, Texas, has bashed the trial as unfair and an assault on free speech rights. He says he will appeal the verdicts. He also has said he doesn’t have the money to pay such huge verdicts, because he has less than $2 million to his name — which contradicted testimony at a similar trial in Texas. Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Jones said Thursday that he has only a “couple hundred thousand dollars” in his savings account.
Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, wrote in a text message to the The Associated Press, “To paraphrase Karl Marx, the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work on appeal that much easier.”
Bellis found Jones and Infowars’ parent company liable for damages without a trial last year, as a consequence for what she called his repeated failures to turn over many financial documents and other records to the plaintiffs. After the unusual “default” ruling, the jury was tasked only with deciding on the amount of compensatory damages and whether punitive damages were warranted.
Jones says that he turned over thousands of documents and that the default ruling deprived him of his right to present a defense against the lawsuit.
The punitive damages include about $323 million for the plaintiffs’ attorney fees and costs and $150 million for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In Connecticut, punitive damages for defamation and infliction of emotional distress are generally limited to plaintiffs’ legal fees. The Sandy Hook plaintiffs’ lawyers are to get one-third of the $965 million in compensatory damages under a retainer agreement.
But there is no cap on punitive damages for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act. The plaintiffs had not asked for a specific amount of punitive damages, but under one hypothetical calculation they said such damages could be around $2.75 trillion under the law.
In a similar trial in Texas in August, Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of another child killed in the Sandy Hook shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. A forensic economist testified during that trial that Jones and Free Speech Systems have a combined net worth as high as $270 million.
Jones hawks nutritional supplements, survival gear and other products on his show, which airs on the Infowars website and dozens of radio stations. Evidence at the Connecticut trial showed his sales spiked around a time he talked about the Sandy Hook shooting, leading the plaintiffs’ lawyers to say he was profiting off the tragedy.
In documents recently filed in Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy case in Texas, a budget for the company for Oct. 29 to Nov. 25 estimated product sales would total $2.5 million, while operating expenses would be about $740,000. Jones’ salary was listed at $20,000 every two weeks.
On Wednesday, Bellis, the Connecticut judge, ordered Jones to not move any of his assets out of the country, as the families seek to attach his holdings to secure money for the damages. Jones, meanwhile, has asked the judge to order a new trial or at least reduce the compensatory damages to a “nominal” amount.
A third and final trial over Jones’ hoax claims is expected to begin around the end of the year in Texas. As in Connecticut, Jones was found liable for damages without trials in both Texas cases because he failed to turned over many records to the plaintiffs.
Alex Jones ordered to pay $473M more to Sandy Hook families
Infowars host Alex Jones and his company were ordered by a judge to pay an extra $473 million for promoting false conspiracy theories.
Well shit. How much is Jones worth from promoting false conspiracy theories?
That's it! This site will only be promoting TRUE conspiracy theories from this point forward.
Amen.
Judge backs full $49 million jury award against Alex Jones in Texas
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Nov 22, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas judge said Tuesday she will not lower a nearly $50 million punishment against Alex Jones that a jury handed down earlier this year over the Infowars host spreading false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
Since that August trial in Texas, other judgments against Jones in Connecticut have stacked up to a staggering $1.44 billion – setting up what experts say is likely a long fight ahead for Sandy Hook families to try to collect that money.
The decision in Texas by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble is another defeat for Jones and notable because a state law has raised questions about how much of the punishment would stand.
In most civil cases, Texas law limits how much defendants have to pay in “exemplary,” or punitive, damages to twice the “economic damages” plus up to $750,000. But jurors are not told about this cap, and eye-popping verdicts are often hacked down by judges. But Gamble said she would enter a judgment for the full amount.
Jones could appeal and has already said he has little money to pay the damages. He said during the Connecticut trial he has less than $2 million to his name, which contradicted testimony at the trial in Texas. Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Twenty children and six adults died in the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Nov 22, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 1 minute read
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas judge said Tuesday she will not lower a nearly $50 million punishment against Alex Jones that a jury handed down earlier this year over the Infowars host spreading false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
Since that August trial in Texas, other judgments against Jones in Connecticut have stacked up to a staggering $1.44 billion – setting up what experts say is likely a long fight ahead for Sandy Hook families to try to collect that money.
The decision in Texas by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble is another defeat for Jones and notable because a state law has raised questions about how much of the punishment would stand.
In most civil cases, Texas law limits how much defendants have to pay in “exemplary,” or punitive, damages to twice the “economic damages” plus up to $750,000. But jurors are not told about this cap, and eye-popping verdicts are often hacked down by judges. But Gamble said she would enter a judgment for the full amount.
Jones could appeal and has already said he has little money to pay the damages. He said during the Connecticut trial he has less than $2 million to his name, which contradicted testimony at the trial in Texas. Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Twenty children and six adults died in the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
Judge backs full $49 million jury award against Alex Jones in Texas
A Texas judge said Tuesday she will not lower a nearly $50 million punishment against Alex Jones that a jury handed down earlier this year.
Alex Jones wants Canadian comedian arrested for Tucker Carlson prank
Author of the article
enette Wilford
Published May 08, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones revealed he was targeted by a prankster who called him using an A.I. Tucker Carlson voice.
Now, it’s not so much who said it, but what was said.
Jones recounted the call on an episode of his show, saying that since he and Carlson have been known to speak “here and there on the phone,” he answered when the ousted Fox News host’s number showed up.
“I go, ‘Hey, what’s going on Tucker?’ And it’s Tucker Carlson’s voice, and it starts saying these horrible, lurid sexual things to me,” he recalled of the bizarre incident, according to Newsweek.
“I instantly figure out this is A.I., someone’s spoofing his number and I confront the individuals on this,” Jones continued. “They say a few more things, then the phone hangs up.”
The man behind A.I. Tucker was Vancouver-based comedian Chris James, who goes by Prank Stallone on Twitter, where he confirmed the conversation did take place.
“OK, so let’s say someone has Tucker Carlson’s cell number and also Alex Jones’ cell phone number, and also an AI Tucker Carlson voice,” James tweeted. “They could IN THEORY call Alex Jones and pretend to be Tucker, and have a full conversation with him. Anyways I just did that.”
Jones went on during his show to invite James onto his program, saying he needs to “explain your intent” behind the prank call and prove “he’s not part of a government group or an agency, because what he did, spoofing someone’s number, in many jurisdictions is a crime.”
James told Rolling Stone that he thought the prank call would be funny, but had doubts that it would even work.
“I’ve called Alex Jones before and he tends to answer his phone,” James said. “I put Tucker Carlson’s number in, but in my head, I thought it was just going to show up as a bunch of numbers. I was so ill-prepared for it because I assumed he would just hang up.”
“But Jones engaged with it in the beginning as if it was a real conversation, even though it was very weird stuff the Tucker A.I. was saying.”
James passed on making an appearance on Infowars, which didn’t sit well with Jones. He called for the comedian to be arrested, insisting he would file a criminal complaint.
“Tucker Carlson’s lawyers are involved, and what you did, we believe is a crime, so even though you think you are safe up in Canada, you are going to get arrested for what you did,” Jones said.
“So keep laughing, you little arrogant person.”
rollingstone.com
newsweek.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article
enette WilfordPublished May 08, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones revealed he was targeted by a prankster who called him using an A.I. Tucker Carlson voice.
Now, it’s not so much who said it, but what was said.
Jones recounted the call on an episode of his show, saying that since he and Carlson have been known to speak “here and there on the phone,” he answered when the ousted Fox News host’s number showed up.
“I go, ‘Hey, what’s going on Tucker?’ And it’s Tucker Carlson’s voice, and it starts saying these horrible, lurid sexual things to me,” he recalled of the bizarre incident, according to Newsweek.
“I instantly figure out this is A.I., someone’s spoofing his number and I confront the individuals on this,” Jones continued. “They say a few more things, then the phone hangs up.”
The man behind A.I. Tucker was Vancouver-based comedian Chris James, who goes by Prank Stallone on Twitter, where he confirmed the conversation did take place.
“OK, so let’s say someone has Tucker Carlson’s cell number and also Alex Jones’ cell phone number, and also an AI Tucker Carlson voice,” James tweeted. “They could IN THEORY call Alex Jones and pretend to be Tucker, and have a full conversation with him. Anyways I just did that.”
Jones went on during his show to invite James onto his program, saying he needs to “explain your intent” behind the prank call and prove “he’s not part of a government group or an agency, because what he did, spoofing someone’s number, in many jurisdictions is a crime.”
James told Rolling Stone that he thought the prank call would be funny, but had doubts that it would even work.
“I’ve called Alex Jones before and he tends to answer his phone,” James said. “I put Tucker Carlson’s number in, but in my head, I thought it was just going to show up as a bunch of numbers. I was so ill-prepared for it because I assumed he would just hang up.”
“But Jones engaged with it in the beginning as if it was a real conversation, even though it was very weird stuff the Tucker A.I. was saying.”
James passed on making an appearance on Infowars, which didn’t sit well with Jones. He called for the comedian to be arrested, insisting he would file a criminal complaint.
“Tucker Carlson’s lawyers are involved, and what you did, we believe is a crime, so even though you think you are safe up in Canada, you are going to get arrested for what you did,” Jones said.
“So keep laughing, you little arrogant person.”
Alex Jones Wants This Comedian Arrested Over A Prank Call
Comedian Chris James says his prank call was just for laughs.
rollingstone.com
Alex Jones reveals he was victim of a Tucker Carlson prank
The prank caller, Chris James, said he plans to play the footage on his show on Monday.
newsweek.com
Alex Jones wants Canadian comedian arrested for Tucker Carlson prank
Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones revealed he was targeted by a prankster who called him using an A.I. Tucker Carlson voice.
Judge rules Alex Jones can't use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying Sandy Hook families
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Oct 20, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas judge has ruled that Infowars host Alex Jones cannot use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billion to families who sued over his conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
The decision is another significant defeat for Jones in the wake of juries in Texas and Connecticut punishing him over spreading falsehoods about the nation’s deadliest school shooting. U.S. District Judge Christopher Lopez of Houston issued the ruling Thursday.
Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year and more recent financial documents submitted by his attorneys put his personal net worth around $14 million. But Lopez ruled that those protections do not apply over findings of “willful and malicious” conduct.
“The families are pleased with the Court’s ruling that Jones’s malicious conduct will find no safe harbor in the bankruptcy court,” said Christopher Mattei, a Connecticut lawyer for the families. “As a result, Jones will continue to be accountable for his actions into the future regardless of his claimed bankruptcy.”
An attorney for Jones did not immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.
On his Infowars website, Jones posted a video saying the judge’s ruling will have little practical effect because he is over $1 million in debt personally and has little to pay the Sandy Hook families. He also said he continues to appeal the verdicts.
“It’s all academic. I don’t have a million dollars,” he said. “My company has a few million, but that’s just to pay the bills and my product in the future. So we are literally on empty. So this idea that … we’re going to take your money away doesn’t exist because the money doesn’t exist. It’s all political.
“At the end of the day, they won’t take my free speech away,” he said. “I’m still going to be on the air one way or another.”
After 26 people were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, Jones made a false conspiracy theory a centerpiece of his programing on his flagship Infowars show. He has been telling his audience to donate to him and shop on the Infowars website so he can keep doing his program and pay his legal costs.
But Jones’ personal spending topped $93,000 in July alone, including thousands of dollars on meals and entertainment, according to his monthly financial reports in the bankruptcy case. The spending stuck a nerve with Sandy Hook families as they have yet to collect any of the money that juries awarded them.
Sandy Hook families won nearly the $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones last year in lawsuits over repeated promotion of a false theory that the school shooting that ever happened.
The amount of money Jones owes Sandy Hook families could grow even larger. Another lawsuit is pending in Texas, brought by the parents of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the children slain in the attack. A trial date has not yet been set.
Relatives of the victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones’ believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being “crisis actors” whose children never existed.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Oct 20, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas judge has ruled that Infowars host Alex Jones cannot use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billion to families who sued over his conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
The decision is another significant defeat for Jones in the wake of juries in Texas and Connecticut punishing him over spreading falsehoods about the nation’s deadliest school shooting. U.S. District Judge Christopher Lopez of Houston issued the ruling Thursday.
Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year and more recent financial documents submitted by his attorneys put his personal net worth around $14 million. But Lopez ruled that those protections do not apply over findings of “willful and malicious” conduct.
“The families are pleased with the Court’s ruling that Jones’s malicious conduct will find no safe harbor in the bankruptcy court,” said Christopher Mattei, a Connecticut lawyer for the families. “As a result, Jones will continue to be accountable for his actions into the future regardless of his claimed bankruptcy.”
An attorney for Jones did not immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.
On his Infowars website, Jones posted a video saying the judge’s ruling will have little practical effect because he is over $1 million in debt personally and has little to pay the Sandy Hook families. He also said he continues to appeal the verdicts.
“It’s all academic. I don’t have a million dollars,” he said. “My company has a few million, but that’s just to pay the bills and my product in the future. So we are literally on empty. So this idea that … we’re going to take your money away doesn’t exist because the money doesn’t exist. It’s all political.
“At the end of the day, they won’t take my free speech away,” he said. “I’m still going to be on the air one way or another.”
After 26 people were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, Jones made a false conspiracy theory a centerpiece of his programing on his flagship Infowars show. He has been telling his audience to donate to him and shop on the Infowars website so he can keep doing his program and pay his legal costs.
But Jones’ personal spending topped $93,000 in July alone, including thousands of dollars on meals and entertainment, according to his monthly financial reports in the bankruptcy case. The spending stuck a nerve with Sandy Hook families as they have yet to collect any of the money that juries awarded them.
Sandy Hook families won nearly the $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones last year in lawsuits over repeated promotion of a false theory that the school shooting that ever happened.
The amount of money Jones owes Sandy Hook families could grow even larger. Another lawsuit is pending in Texas, brought by the parents of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the children slain in the attack. A trial date has not yet been set.
Relatives of the victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones’ believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being “crisis actors” whose children never existed.
Judge rules Alex Jones can't use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying Sandy Hook families
Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year.
Sandy Hook families offer to settle Infowars founder's legal debt for $85 million
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dave Collins
Published Nov 27, 2023 • 3 minute read
Sandy Hook families who won nearly $1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar — at least $85 million over 10 years.
The offer was made in Jones’ personal bankruptcy case in Houston last week. In a legal filing, lawyers for the families said they believed the proposal was a viable way to help resolve the bankruptcy reorganization cases of both Jones and his company Free Speech Systems.
But in the sharply worded document, the attorneys continued to accuse the Infowars host of failing to curb his personal spending and “extravagant lifestyle,” failing to preserve the value of his holdings, refusing to sell assets and failing to produce certain financial documents.
“Jones has failed in every way to serve as the fiduciary mandated by the Bankruptcy Code in exchange for the breathing spell he has enjoyed for almost a year. His time is up,” lawyers for the Sandy Hook families wrote.
The families’ lawyers offered Jones two options: Either liquidate his estate and give the proceeds to creditors or pay them at least $8.5 million a year for 10 years — plus 50% of any income over $9 million per year.
During a court hearing in Houston, Jones’ personal bankruptcy lawyer, Vickie Driver, suggested Monday that the $85-million, 10-year settlement offer was too high and unrealistic for Jones to pay.
“There are no financials that will ever show that Mr. Jones ever made that … in 10 years,” she said.
In a new bankruptcy plan filed on Nov. 18, Free Speech Systems said it could afford to pay creditors about $4 million a year, down from an estimate earlier this year of $7 million to $10 million annually. The company said it expected to make about $19.2 million next year from selling the dietary supplements, clothing and other merchandise Jones promotes on his shows, while operating expenses including salaries would total about $14.3 million.
Personally, Jones listed about $13 million in total assets in his most recent financial statements filed with the bankruptcy court, including about $856,000 in various bank accounts.
Under the bankruptcy case orders, Jones had been receiving a salary of $20,000 every two weeks or $520,000 a year. But this month, a court-appointed restructuring officer upped Jones’ pay to about $57,700 biweekly or $1.5 million a year, saying he has been “grossly” underpaid for how vital he is to the media company.
Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez on Monday rejected the $1.5-million salary, saying the pay raise didn’t appear to have been made properly under bankruptcy laws and a hearing needed to be held.
If Jones doesn’t accept the families’ offer, Lopez would determine how much he would pay the families and other creditors.
After 20 children and six educators were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, Jones repeatedly said on his show that the shooting never happened and was staged in an effort to tighten gun laws.
Relatives of many, but not all, of the Sandy Hook victims sued Jones in Connecticut and Texas, winning nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against him. In October, Lopez ruled that Jones could not use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billon of that debt.
Relatives of the school shooting victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones’ believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being “crisis actors” whose children never existed.
Jones is appealing the judgments, saying he didn’t get fair trials and his speech was protected by the First Amendment.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Dave Collins
Published Nov 27, 2023 • 3 minute read
Sandy Hook families who won nearly $1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar — at least $85 million over 10 years.
The offer was made in Jones’ personal bankruptcy case in Houston last week. In a legal filing, lawyers for the families said they believed the proposal was a viable way to help resolve the bankruptcy reorganization cases of both Jones and his company Free Speech Systems.
But in the sharply worded document, the attorneys continued to accuse the Infowars host of failing to curb his personal spending and “extravagant lifestyle,” failing to preserve the value of his holdings, refusing to sell assets and failing to produce certain financial documents.
“Jones has failed in every way to serve as the fiduciary mandated by the Bankruptcy Code in exchange for the breathing spell he has enjoyed for almost a year. His time is up,” lawyers for the Sandy Hook families wrote.
The families’ lawyers offered Jones two options: Either liquidate his estate and give the proceeds to creditors or pay them at least $8.5 million a year for 10 years — plus 50% of any income over $9 million per year.
During a court hearing in Houston, Jones’ personal bankruptcy lawyer, Vickie Driver, suggested Monday that the $85-million, 10-year settlement offer was too high and unrealistic for Jones to pay.
“There are no financials that will ever show that Mr. Jones ever made that … in 10 years,” she said.
In a new bankruptcy plan filed on Nov. 18, Free Speech Systems said it could afford to pay creditors about $4 million a year, down from an estimate earlier this year of $7 million to $10 million annually. The company said it expected to make about $19.2 million next year from selling the dietary supplements, clothing and other merchandise Jones promotes on his shows, while operating expenses including salaries would total about $14.3 million.
Personally, Jones listed about $13 million in total assets in his most recent financial statements filed with the bankruptcy court, including about $856,000 in various bank accounts.
Under the bankruptcy case orders, Jones had been receiving a salary of $20,000 every two weeks or $520,000 a year. But this month, a court-appointed restructuring officer upped Jones’ pay to about $57,700 biweekly or $1.5 million a year, saying he has been “grossly” underpaid for how vital he is to the media company.
Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez on Monday rejected the $1.5-million salary, saying the pay raise didn’t appear to have been made properly under bankruptcy laws and a hearing needed to be held.
If Jones doesn’t accept the families’ offer, Lopez would determine how much he would pay the families and other creditors.
After 20 children and six educators were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, Jones repeatedly said on his show that the shooting never happened and was staged in an effort to tighten gun laws.
Relatives of many, but not all, of the Sandy Hook victims sued Jones in Connecticut and Texas, winning nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against him. In October, Lopez ruled that Jones could not use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billon of that debt.
Relatives of the school shooting victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones’ believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being “crisis actors” whose children never existed.
Jones is appealing the judgments, saying he didn’t get fair trials and his speech was protected by the First Amendment.
Sandy Hook families offer to settle Infowars founder's legal debt for $85 million
The $85-million, 10-year offer was made in Alex Jones' personal bankruptcy case in Houston last week.