{"id":14033,"date":"2022-12-05T21:47:16","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T02:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/?p=14033"},"modified":"2022-12-05T21:47:16","modified_gmt":"2022-12-06T02:47:16","slug":"billion-dollar-baby%ef%bf%bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/2022\/12\/05\/billion-dollar-baby%ef%bf%bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Billion Dollar Baby\ufffc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Regan Jarvis, Features Editor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Photo courtesy of pexels.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In one corner of the ring stands notorious conspiracy theorist and radio show host, Alex Jones. His opponents? The bereaved families of the victims of a tragic mass murder. After filing three separate defamation lawsuits and enduring four years of litigation, the families have secured over one billion dollars in judgments against Jones.[1]<\/a> However, several bankruptcies of shell corporations owned by Jones,[2]<\/a> as well as an appeal of the damages leave the grieving families wondering how long they will have to wait for justice.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only days before Christmas of 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza entered a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school and shot and killed 20 children and six adults before committing suicide.[4]<\/a> As the story of the horror at Sandy Hook Elementary School unfolded in the news, it was not long before it was picked up by Infowars, a conspiracy theory website owned by Jones.[5]<\/a> Infowars and Jones have been heavily criticized for perpetuating dangerous conspiracies, including claims that certain mass shootings were \u201cstaged false flag operations,\u201d[6]<\/a> as well as QAnon conspiracies such as \u201cPizzagate.\u201d[7]<\/a>  In fact, Jones\u2019s rhetoric is believed to have partially fueled the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol, as he broadcast a video that morning claiming that the insurrection was \u201cthe most important call to action on domestic soil since Paul Revere and his ride in 1776.\u201d[8]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April 2013, four months after the Sandy Hook shooting, Jones claimed that the elementary school massacre was a \u201cgovernment operation\u201d with \u201cinside job written all over it,\u201d on an Infowars\u2019 broadcast.[9]<\/a> This statement was one of at least a dozen in which Jones and other Infowars contributors made false allegations about incidents surrounding the shooting.[10]<\/a> For example, in July 2015, Infowars published an article titled, \u201cMEGA MASSIVE COVER UP: RETIRED FBI AGENT INVESTIGATES SANDY HOOK.\u201d[11]<\/a> Additionally, on April 22, 2017, Jones broadcast a video titled \u201cSandy Hook Vampires Exposed\u201d in which he claimed the parents of Sandy Hook victims were paid actors and accused them of fraud.[12]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the misinformation spread by Jones and Infowars, family members of the victims began receiving death threats from angry fans of Infowars.[13]<\/a> In 2017, 57-year-old Lucy Richards, an Infowars listener, was sentenced to five months in prison after sending threatening messages to Lenny Pozner, the father of a six-year-old Sandy Hook victim.[14]<\/a> Other victims\u2019 family members endured years of threats and harassment because of the defamatory content broadcasted on Infowars as well.[15]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 16, 2018, three parents of Sandy Hook victims filed suit against Defendants Jones, Infowars, and Free Speech Systems, LLC, in Travis County, Texas claiming defamation per se<\/em> and conspiracy.[16]<\/a> Free Speech Systems, LLC is the parent company of Infowars.[17]<\/a> Subsequently, another 13 family members of Sandy Hook victims, in addition to an FBI agent, filed a second lawsuit against Jones in Connecticut on May 23, 2018.[18]<\/a> Finally, another Sandy Hook parent filed a third lawsuit against Jones in Texas state court.[19]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the storm of lawsuits, Jones continuously failed to comply with court orders, resulting in two separate default judgments, one in Connecticut and one in Texas.[20]<\/a> In response to the findings of liability, five of Jones\u2019s shell corporations filed for bankruptcy in Texas and one other entity filed for bankruptcy in Connecticut.[21]<\/a> Jones\u2019s Texas bankruptcy case was dismissed in April 2022, after Sandy Hook parents intervened with claims that the bankruptcies were a stalling tactic.[22]<\/a> After the dismissal of Jones\u2019s Texas bankruptcy case, he faced a two-week trial to determine damages ending in a $49.3 million jury award.[23]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones eventually agreed to stand trial in Connecticut as well, despite the second outstanding bankruptcy case.[24]<\/a> In October 2022, a jury awarded Sandy Hook families a shocking $965 million award.[25]<\/a> Although Jones\u2019s various business ventures were raking in over $50 million per year,[26]<\/a> few believe that he has assets to satisfy the defamation judgments.[27]<\/a> However, he has yet to file for individual bankruptcy.[28]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even more recently, on November 10, 2022, Jones was ordered to pay another $473 million, bringing the grand total to $1.44 billion in compensatory and punitive damages.[29]<\/a> As the 10th<\/sup> anniversary approaches, the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School remains one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history.[30]<\/a> However, with predictions of appeals by Jones, it seems that the victims\u2019 families are still far from peace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alex-jones-connecticut-lawsuits-shootings-school-c4cd4f3f1aa69a73659b639a6f8df521<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/legal-fallout-alex-jones-false-sandy-hook-claims-2022-09-13\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alex-jones-connecticut-lawsuits-shootings-school-c4cd4f3f1aa69a73659b639a6f8df521<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Sandy-Hook-Elementary-School-shooting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a> https:\/\/www.infowars.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a> https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180228180142\/http:\/\/fortune.com\/2018\/02\/24\/youtube-pulls-alex-jones-infowars-video\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/a> https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20171229080432\/https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thetwo-way\/2017\/03\/26\/521545788\/conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-apologizes-for-promoting-pizzagate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/a> https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2022\/04\/28\/alex-jones-sandy-hook-january-6\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[9]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/legal-fallout-alex-jones-false-sandy-hook-claims-2022-09-13\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[10]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[11]<\/a> https:\/\/infowarslawsuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/april-16-2018-pozner-original-petition-file-stamped.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[12]<\/a> Id.<\/em>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[13]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[14]<\/a> https:\/\/time.com\/4810828\/sandy-hook-shooting-lucy-richards-threats\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[15]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/media-telecom\/jury-alex-jones-defamation-case-begin-deliberations-punitive-damages-2022-08-05\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[16]<\/a> https:\/\/infowarslawsuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/april-16-2018-pozner-original-petition-file-stamped.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[17]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/legal-fallout-alex-jones-false-sandy-hook-claims-2022-09-13\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[18]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[19]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[20]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[21]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[22]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/legal-fallout-alex-jones-false-sandy-hook-claims-2022-09-13\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[23]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[24]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[25]<\/a> https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/bankruptcy-law\/alex-jones-1-billion-verdict-puts-focus-on-bankruptcy-mediation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[26]<\/a> https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2022\/04\/28\/alex-jones-sandy-hook-january-6\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[27]<\/a> https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/bankruptcy-law\/alex-jones-1-billion-verdict-puts-focus-on-bankruptcy-mediation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[28]<\/a> https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2022\/04\/28\/alex-jones-sandy-hook-january-6\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[29]<\/a> https:\/\/www.wbaltv.com\/article\/alex-jones-to-sandy-hook-school-shooting-lies-judge-order\/41926014#<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[30]<\/a> https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Sandy-Hook-Elementary-School-shooting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Regan Jarvis, Features Editor In one corner of the ring stands notorious conspiracy theorist and radio show host, Alex Jones. His opponents? The bereaved families of the victims of a tragic mass murder. After filing three separate defamation lawsuits and enduring four years of litigation, the families have secured [\u2026] <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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