Supreme Court Upholds $1.4 Billion Judgment Against Alex Jones in Sandy Hook Defamation Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Alex Jones, thereby upholding the $1.4 billion judgment against him for defamation and infliction of emotional distress. This judgment stems from Jones' false assertions that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax involving crisis actors.

Jones, the host of Infowars, contended that the trial court erred by finding him liable without a full trial on the merits of the allegations brought by the victims' families. The Supreme Court issued its decision without requesting a response from the families or providing commentary.

In late 2022, Jones filed for bankruptcy, with his attorneys arguing that the plaintiffs have no realistic prospect of collecting the full judgment. He is also appealing a separate $49 million judgment in a Texas defamation case related to similar claims about the Sandy Hook tragedy.

In the Connecticut case, the court issued a default ruling against Jones and his company in 2021 due to repeated non-compliance with court orders and failure to provide requested evidence. A jury subsequently awarded $964 million in damages, with an additional $473 million in punitive damages added later.

Efforts to liquidate Infowars' assets to satisfy the judgments have faced challenges. An auction in November, where the satirical news outlet The Onion emerged as the winning bidder, was nullified by a bankruptcy judge citing procedural issues. The process has since moved to a Texas state court, where Jones is contesting the appointment of a receiver to oversee asset liquidation.