Judge rejects Infowars sale to The Onion
A judge rejected Infowars’ sale to The Onion because the auction did not result in the highest bid.
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will not review a $1.4 billion judgment against Alex Jones, a conservative media personality and conspiracy theorist who claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax by crisis managers.
On October 14, the court rejected Jones’ appeal, which had separately asked a judge to protect his assets, including the Infowars website, while he sought intervention.
In 2022, a jury in Connecticut ordered Mr. Jones to pay a huge judgment to the families of several Sandy Hook victims and FBI agents after the judge found that he had defamed and caused significant harm to them by years of claiming that the killings were part of a government plot to steal Americans’ guns.
Gunman Adam Lanza (20) killed 26 people, including 20 children, at the school, as well as his mother and later that day himself.
Ms Jones argued she should have gone to trial before a judge found her liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress. A judge in Connecticut found Mr. Jones liable for default because he refused to comply with the court’s ruling or submit evidence. The jury then sets the level of damages.
“The result is a fiat monetary death penalty for media defendants who broadcast millions of times,” Jones’ lawyers told the Supreme Court.
They argued that state courts should not be able to enter administrative default judgments against media personnel.
In addition to the $1.4 billion judgment in the Connecticut case, Jones faces a nearly $50 million judgment from a Texas court for his claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax. This award was presented to the parents of a 6-year-old child killed in a serial murder case.
Contributor: Aisha Bagki
