Supreme Court Declines Alex Jones' Appeal in Sandy Hook Defamation Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Alex Jones' appeal, upholding the $1.4 billion defamation judgment against him for false claims about the Sandy Hook shooting.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Alex Jones, maintaining the $1.4 billion defamation judgment against him for his false assertions that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
Jones, the founder of Infowars, had argued that the Connecticut judge erred by holding him liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without a trial on the merits. The Supreme Court's decision leaves in place the substantial damages awarded to the families of the victims.
In 2022, a Connecticut jury awarded $965 million in compensatory damages to the families, with an additional $473 million in punitive damages added later by the judge. These awards were in response to Jones' repeated claims that the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 20 first-grade children and six educators, was staged by "crisis actors."
Jones' legal team contended that the damages were excessive and violated his First Amendment rights. However, the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the appeal means the judgment stands, and Jones remains liable for the full amount.
Following the judgment, Jones filed for bankruptcy protection, and there have been attempts to liquidate Infowars' assets to satisfy the damages. Notably, the satirical news outlet The Onion was named the winning bidder in an auction to acquire Infowars, but the sale was later blocked by a bankruptcy judge.
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