Oct. 12 (UPI) — A Connecticut jury has ordered Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $965 million to the families of eight Sandy Hook shooting victims and an FBI agent, who responded to the 2012 Newtown massacre, for spreading lies and calling the deadly attack a hoax.
The jury, in the defamation case, awarded the damages Wednesday after Jones was found liable last year for spreading false stories on his radio and online show about the elementary school shooting that killed 28 people, including 20 first-graders.
The families of the victims claimed Jones profited off of his lives, as they suffered increased online harassment.
Jones, who already had been found liable by a judge for refusing to turn over critical evidence before the trial, was held responsible for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act for his false narrative.
The six-member jury only had to decide how much Jones should pay.
Several Sandy Hook families were in court Wednesday and wept at the massive award. Robert Parker, the father of 6-year-old Emilie Parker who was killed in the shooting, held his head in his hands and cried. Parker’s share in the damages totals $120 million, which was the largest single amount awarded.
Attorneys for the families argued during the four-week trial that Jones had targeted Parker with false claims because of a news conference he participated in a day after the shooting.
Jones claimed Parker was an actor and the incident was staged. Parker said his family suffered increased online abuse after Jones made fun of the press conference.
During closing arguments at the close of the four-week trial, attorney Christopher Mattei asked the jury to award significant damages, saying Jones’ Sandy Hook content got an estimated 550 million views and made him a lot of money.
“Their lives were shattered by December 14, 2012, but Alex Jones has made it so they can’t escape,” Mattei told the jury. “Every single one of these families were drowning in grief, and Alex Jones put his foot right on top of them.”
Jones, who was not in the courtroom when the decision was read, was streaming live on his Infowars show and responded to the jury’s award by saying there “ain’t no money.” He also said he plans to appeal the decision.
His defense attorney, Norm Pattis, called the decision a “dark day for freedom of speech.”
“We disagree with the basis of the default, we disagree with the court’s evidentiary rulings. In more than 200 trials in the course of my career I have never seen a trial like this,” Pattis said.
This was Jones’ second civil trial this year. In August, a Texas jury determined that Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, the parent of Infowars, should pay two Sandy Hook parents nearly $50 million.
Jones has faced multiple lawsuits after he claimed over the years, that the mass shooting at the elementary school was a staged government conspiracy meant to take away guns from Americans.
In August, Jones admitted during testimony that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary did occur. “Especially since I’ve met the parents. It’s 100% real.”
