A jury started hearing evidence in a Connecticut court on September 13, which will determine how much InfoWars founder Alex Jones should have to pay the families of a Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting after he said that the murders at the school were a hoax.
A Texas jury last month ordered Jones to pay $49.2 million to the parents of Jesse Lewis, a 6-year-old, one of 26 students and teachers who died in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, shooting. The Dallas Express reported that Jones’ lawyer has stated an appeal is being prepared.
Another Connecticut court is determining how much Jones should pay other plaintiffs.
In 2013, a court said Jones’ accusation that family members of the deceased were crisis actors posing as bereaved parents was invalid. Eighteen families said when Jones talked about the school shooting, he boosted his show ratings and raked in more profits, reported the Stamford Advocate. In 2021, two judges found him liable for defamation.
Jones claimed in court filings that after being “de-platformed,” InfoWars could not find suppliers for the health supplements that are the company’s primary source of revenue.
PQPR is Alex Jones’ merchandise supplier, as well as the company that holds most of the debt underlying Jones’ Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy. PQPR, partly owned by Jones’ father, David Jones, has since provided those supplements, resulting in an outstanding debt that led to bankruptcy, reported the Stamford Advocate.
The Connecticut trial was postponed after the company declared bankruptcy this summer.
Day one of the latest trial featured emotional testimony from Victoria Soto’s sister, a Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher killed in the shooting, and William Aldenberg, an FBI agent. He responded to the shooting and also sued Jones.
Their testimony came after opening statements by Jones’ attorney Norm Pattis and the family’s attorney Chris Mattei, according to the Stamford Advocate.
On Wednesday’s witness stand, Jones’ Infowars lawyer Brittany Paz admitted that the show and website spread false information about the shooting.
“I don’t think that we disagree that there were false statements made,” Brittany Paz testified, NBC News reported.
Jones personally chose Paz to be a corporate representative for his company during depositions. In this case, she is a witness for the plaintiffs, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Jones, according to Paz, did not personally investigate the massacre. She admitted on the stand that she was aware of “some harassment” endured by families and that some of that harassment was perpetrated by InfoWars fans.
On Thursday, the defendants’ attorney Norm Pattis was expected to cross-examine Paz, followed by a redirect by the plaintiffs.
However, after the jury was excused, Judge Barbara Bellis and attorneys agreed that before testimony resumed on Thursday, September 15, they would first address an issue with a Jones-controlled entity.
