Alex Jones is scheduled to stand trial again for calling the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy a fake. Also, for causing emotional and psychological trauma to many of the victims’ families. This is one month after losing a nearly $50 million verdict.
Considering that Jones has already been determined to be accountable for the families’ damages, a six-member jury in Connecticut with a number of alternates will start hearing testimony on Tuesday about how much money Jones should provide them. It is anticipated that the study will last four weeks.
Jones was sentenced by a Texas jury last month to compensate the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis. She was one of the 26 kids and teachers who died in the Newtown, Connecticut, tragedy in 2012, $49.3 million. Jones’ attorney has stated that an appeal is expected.
The Connecticut case comprises three cases that have been merged and were brought by 15 plaintiffs. This includes the families of nine victims and a former FBI agent who reacted to the school massacre. He has the potential for greater compensation.
Another case brought by the Sandy Hook parents in Texas seeks a third trial for Jones. Jones operates his online program and Infowars brand out of Austin, Texas.
The forthcoming trial will be held in Waterbury, Connecticut, which is located around 18 miles (29 kilometers) northeast of Newtown. A defendant is also Free Speech Systems, the parent business of Infowars, which has applied for bankruptcy protection.
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Alex Jones stands trial again over the Sandy Hook Hoax claim
The families claim that Jones’ supporters have physically assaulted and harassed them. This is as a result of the phony plot, as has William Aldenberg, a former FBI agent. They claim they have also received hateful remarks on social media and have received death threats.
A few of the claimants claim that they and their surviving children were recorded by unrelated individuals. To prevent threats and teasing, other families have also left Newtown.
Neil Heslin, Jesse Lewis’ father, testified in the Texas trial. “I can’t even express the last nine and a half years. The living hell that I and others have had to experience. This is because of the carelessness and negligence of Alex Jones.”
Defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and breaches of the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act are also alleged in the Connecticut case. The families contend that Jones has increased his audience. They also said he made more money from the sale of supplements, apparel, and other goods when he spoke about Sandy Hook.
The families have not requested a precise dollar amount for their losses. Some of which would be constrained by state legislation. The Unfair Trade Practices Act, however, does not include any damage cap restrictions.
Jones and his attorneys frequently neglected to provide the families’ attorneys with the necessary records. This is true in each of the Connecticut and Texas cases. In retaliation, the courts imposed one of the toughest penalties in civil law. They declared Jones accountable for damages automatically and without a jury trial.
Jones retracts his initial “hoax” claim
Jones now claims he thinks the massacre was genuine. This is a departure from what he had previously stated on his show for years after the shooting. However, he insists that his claims that the shooting was a fake created by crisis actors to support gun control initiatives are protected by the First Amendment.
A stubborn Jones argued during a deposition for the case in April that he wasn’t to blame for the pain that Sandy Hook parents claim they have experienced as a result of his statements.
He has also claimed that the courts’ default judgments against him, which found him guilty without trials, were unjust and that they were a part of a plot to silence him and put him out of business.
In his deposition, he declared, “We are no longer in America if criticizing public events and free speech is prohibited because it could offend someone.” They can switch the channel. They can openly admit that they were mistaken. Also, they are able to speak freely.
However, Jones stated in testimony in the Texas trial that he has since apologized and now sees that what he said was careless and hurtful to others.
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Judge Barbara Bellis
The trial will be presided over by Judge Barbara Bellis, who held Jones responsible for damages. She is the same judge who presided over the lawsuit filed by the Sandy Hook family against Remington, the manufacturer of the Bushmaster weapon used in the school shooting. In February, Remington agreed to pay $73 million to resolve the complaint.
The Texas trial is anticipated to feature testimony from the family of the victims about the suffering and sorrow the fake scheme caused them, as well as inquiries from jurors regarding the relatives’ illnesses and mental health.
Jones will also testify, according to Norman Pattis, his attorney.
He is eager to put this trial behind him since it has been a time-consuming and expensive distraction, Pattis stated.
Jones’ financial situation will also likely be the subject of testimony for the jurors.
Jones asked his web show listeners to purchase his goods in order to keep him on the air and defend himself against the claims. Also, Jones testified at the Texas trial that any verdict over $2 million would “sink us.”
A witness, however, claimed that Jones and his business were worth up to $270 million. After the relatives of the Sandy Hook victims started suing Jones, he is now facing another lawsuit in Texas over claims that he concealed millions of dollars in assets.
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