Supreme Court Upholds $1.4 Billion Defamation Judgment Against Alex Jones

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.

Jones, the host of Infowars, had argued that the Connecticut judge erred in finding him liable without a trial on the merits of the allegations brought by the victims' families. The Supreme Court issued its order without requesting a response from the families.

In late 2021, a Connecticut judge issued a default ruling against Jones and his company due to repeated failures to comply with court orders and to provide certain evidence. Subsequently, a jury awarded $964 million in damages, with an additional $473 million in punitive damages added later.

Jones filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, and his attorneys have stated that the plaintiffs have no realistic prospect of collecting the full judgment. He is also appealing a $49 million judgment in a similar defamation case in Texas.

Efforts to liquidate Infowars' assets to satisfy the judgments have faced challenges. In November, the satirical news outlet The Onion was named the winning bidder in an auction to liquidate Infowars' assets, but the bankruptcy judge later nullified the auction results, citing issues with the process and the bid.