What's next? Suing people who claim the moon landing was faked or suing people who claim that the earth is flat?
There are those who still claim that a plane did NOT hit the Pentagon on 9/11/01. They say it was a missile. Can the families of those who died in that crash sue those who make that claim? Say what you will about Alex Jones, but this lawsuit sets a dangerous precedent.
The parents are suing him for defamation. He has been publicly calling them liars.
“Why exactly is he being sued, other than the fact that he has deep pockets?”
He’s being sued for libel.
“You can argue that his opinion on the incident is wrong but who was actually “harmed” by his opinion?”
That’s what the court is going to determine. But it’s not about his “opinion” at all. It’s about statements and claims that he made which the plaintiffs allege are demonstrably false and malicious. Those are quite different things, legally, from “opinions”.
“He is not a public official or anyone who has any impact on the lives of the families.”
Everyone is subject to the same laws on libel.
“There are those who still claim that a plane did NOT hit the Pentagon on 9/11/01. They say it was a missile. Can the families of those who died in that crash sue those who make that claim?”
Yes, if someone says something false or malicious about those family members, then they can be sued. These laws are nothing new, in fact, they are older than the USA itself, so I don’t see why people are suddenly acting surprised that they exist.
He deserves this lawsuit. I don’t give a rat’s backside what his politics are- he called the parents of the murdered children at Sandy Hook liars. He was cruel and thoughtless and altogether deceitful. He deserves every bit of scorn he receives.
The left has its share of madmen. So do we. Alex Jones is one of them.
A plane did not hit the Pentagon on 911. It was a drone. Millions of people have questions about Sandy Hook.
Libel laws have a long history, in this country and English common law.
Which causes more pain, falsely publishing that Mrs. X is a prostitute, or falsely publishing that Mr. and Mrs. X are lying about their little child being killed, that the child never existed, that their grief is a hoax?