Alex Jones begs Supreme Court to overturn staggering $1.4 billion Sandy Hook judgement
Right-wing conspiracy shock jock Alex Jones is at the mercy of the Supreme Court.
Attorneys for Jones are asking the highest-court to hear his appeal regarding the $1.4 billion judgement handed down by a Connecticut jury and judge.
The conservative commentator received the hefty fine after claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors.
The Infowars founder claims the judge found him liable for defamation without holding a trial on the validity of the allegations made by the relatives of the shooting victims.
The 2012 mass shooting killed 20 young children and six teachers in Newton, Connecticut.
Jones’ lawyers say Supreme Court precedent requires the Sandy Hook families to prove their defamation claims against public figures and journalists such as Jones rather than receiving a default ruling.
Furthermore, his attorneys argue Jones’ comments about the shooting fall under the protection of the First Amendment because they were 'expressions of constitutionally protected opinion.’
‘The media landscape is rife with groups challenging various events, including Holocaust denial, moon landing skepticism, 9/11 conspiracy theories, and even flat Earth claims,’ Jones’ petition states.
Jones claims the judge unjustly found him liable for defamation without holding a trial on the validity of the allegations made by the relatives of the shooting victims.
Jones referred to the 2012 mass shooting that killed 20 young children and six teachers as a hoax
Jones' petition claims unless the Supreme Court overturns the ruling it would ‘chill the reporting of news’ and ‘result in self-censoring’ over fears of lawsuits
‘However, such statements critique or dismiss the events themselves, not the character, conduct, or reputation of those associated with them.’
Following the controversy, Jones has stated he believed the shooting was ‘100% real.’
The request to the Supreme Court was filed by Jones’ lawyers on Friday, but was released to the public on Tuesday.
Jones’ team also cites the Eighteen Amendment to argue the $1.4 billion judgement is excessive punishment.
The petition claims unless the Supreme Court overturns the ruling it would ‘chill the reporting of news’ and ‘result in self-censoring’ over fears of lawsuits.
However, lawyers representing the Sandy Hook families issued a statement slamming Jones’ petition as a ‘last gasp.’
‘There is no legitimate basis for the U.S. Supreme Court to accept this last gasp from Alex Jones and we will oppose it in due course,’ said Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the families, in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
In late 2021, Judge Barbara Bellis issued a rare default ruling against Jones for what she claimed was a repeated failure to abide by court demands and turn over evidence.
A Connecticut judge found Jones liable for the defamation charges without providing him a trial due to his alleged failure to turn over evidence
Jones is known for advocating for conspiracy theories on his Infowars show
As a result, Jones was found liable for the charges without receiving a trial and a jury was convened to determine what damages he would owe the shooting victim’s relatives.
A six-person jury in October issued a $964 million verdict against Jones and his company Free Speech System. Bellis later added on another $473 million in punitive damages.
In December, a Connecticut appellate court removed $150 million from the judgement, but upheld the rest of the $1.4 billion fine. Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court refused to hear Jones' appeal of the lower court's decision back in April.
