Here's your judge. Praise her for the job she did.
Posted on 08/05/2022 3:13:55 PM PDT by Coronal
U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre $45.2 million in punitive damages - on top of $4.1 million in compensatory damages already awarded - for falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax, a Texas jury decided on Friday.
Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, separated parents of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, testified that followers of Jones harassed them and sent them death threats for years in the false belief that they were lying about their son's death in the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting that killed 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
The 12-person jury on Thursday decided on the compensatory damages following a two-week trial in the defamation lawsuit presided over by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in state court in the Texas capital of Austin, where Jones' radio show and webcast Infowars are based.
The parents had sought $145.9 million in punitive damages and $150 million in compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are awarded to cover a plaintiff's suffering and losses. Punitive damages are awarded to punish a defendant's actions.
Jones, who has been a prominent figure in American right-wing circles and a supporter of former President Donald Trump, had called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax by the U.S. government staged using crisis actors to serve as a pretext for taking away Americans' guns.
"We ask that you send a very, very simple message, and that is: stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies," Wesley Todd Ball, a lawyer for the parents, told jurors earlier on Friday before they began deliberations on punitive damages.
The Sandy Hook gunman, Adam Lanza, used a Remington Bushmaster rifle to carry out the massacre. It ended when Lanza killed himself.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
He can build solar panels *and* windmills.
Not a problem
I do feel sorry for the folks, if they were indeed harassed on
top of losing their child.
$45.2 million?
Eh, that’s somewhat excessive > IMO.
I though punitive limit was $750k in Texas.
If the press can be sued for misinformation, this could become interesting.
If the press can be sued for misinformation, this could become interesting.
Of course he doesn’t have it. Can he discharge it through declaring personal bankruptcy?
Perhaps DementiaJ could trade Alex Jones for Britany Grinder…
$45.2 million?
That’s a lot of Loose Change.
Ridiculous to award familes such massive amounts of money. I get the issue but this is just why people take everyone to court. Attorneys get paid and families get rich.
“$45.2 million?
Eh, that’s somewhat excessive”
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I have no sympathy for Jones. On this issue, and others, IMO, he’s a complete f###ing idiot.
I hope this serves as a warning to others, regardless of political affiliation.
I realize that many people, including conservatives, are cheering this decision. They do not realize that Alex Jones was just the “low-hanging” fruit. Next, they will come for the target that is just above him. Then, they will keep reaching further and further until any dissent from the government narrative will be criminalized or fined.
People cheered when Twitter banned Alex Jones and Youtube demonetized his videos. What happened next? They starting banning anyone that stepped too far outside the lines of approved speech. What has happened to Jones will not stop at just him. They will use his case to go after others.
If people didn’t want to hear the crazy things Jones was saying, the proper thing to do would be to not listen to it. Banning his speech and penalizing him was not the way to go.
I’m afraid this will not end well.
Here's your judge. Praise her for the job she did.
He said what he said. I wonder why the suit was in Texas. Is that where he is based?
However, no one will ever convince me why/how a 50-something year old, divorced woman, taking in over $20k a month in child support and alimony, who “used to” shoot skeet when she was a young girl, living in one of the most restrictive states for guns, had a Bushmaster annnndddd a 10mm Compact Glock. A pistol that would difficult for most grown ass men to handle.
Or planned Parenthood...On April 17th,2021 in the NY TIMES,the CEO of PP admitted Sanger and PP were racist...For years...Could be real interesting, if black and Hispanic women sued PP
You may not realize the verdict in question was handed down by a TX jury, not the judge.
I though punitive limit was $750k in Texas.
***********************************
It is. I don’t know why they let the jury award these crazy amounts, just so the courts can lower it to 750k.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.