Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
these absurd dollar amounts...how does the plaintiff collect?
plaintiffs, plural. 8 families and an FBI agent. total is shocking but split individually not so shocking. Only amount I saw was 90 mil for the agent. how the rest breaks down , I don't know or haven't seen reporting on yet.
as to how he pays? after whatever amount the appeal sets, he will pass the basket and find some douche way to market his "products" as a push back against the "infringement of free speech". Which is laughable, the government has done nothing to shut him up. folks with that mindset seem to think speech is consequence-free. its not. this juries judgement makes that abundantly clear.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
these absurd dollar amounts...how does the plaintiff collect?
plaintiffs, plural. 8 families and an FBI agent. total is shocking but split individually not so shocking. Only amount I saw was 90 mil for the agent. how the rest breaks down , I don't know or haven't seen reporting on yet.
as to how he pays? after whatever amount the appeal sets, he will pass the basket and find some douche way to market his "products" as a push back against the "infringement of free speech". Which is laughable, the government has done nothing to shut him up. folks with that mindset seem to think speech is consequence-free. its not. this juries judgement makes that abundantly clear.
yes, I know in this situation it's plural. I was speaking generally...if the defendant isn't a millionaire, how does a person collect a civil suit worth millions?
But even he, he's not a billionaire, so how does it work? I imagine they get a mere pittance of the actual total settlement.
Every dime he’s earned since he was served with notice and everything he’s earning now, regardless of where he’s squirreled it away is subject to seizure by what eventually be a bankruptcy court and held in trust. CT has very robust and affirmed civil liability and bankruptcy laws and procedures. He’s fucked. So he’ll be a martyr to the cause. He’ll be in prison soon.
Jones's followers are going to send him a ton of money and guess what...the plaintiffs are not going to see a penny of the settlement (or at best, a very small fraction). Jones is going to make out like a bandit on this.
The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
1995 Milwaukee 1998 Alpine, Alpine 2003 Albany, Boston, Boston, Boston 2004 Boston, Boston 2006 Hartford, St. Paul (Petty), St. Paul (Petty) 2011 Alpine, Alpine 2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
Jones's followers are going to send him a ton of money and guess what...the plaintiffs are not going to see a penny of the settlement (or at best, a very small fraction). Jones is going to make out like a bandit on this.
The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
Isn't this slander though? He made false comments that had adverse affects. That isn't free speech.
Jones's followers are going to send him a ton of money and guess what...the plaintiffs are not going to see a penny of the settlement (or at best, a very small fraction). Jones is going to make out like a bandit on this.
The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
Isn't this slander though? He made false comments that had adverse affects. That isn't free speech.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Jones's followers are going to send him a ton of money and guess what...the plaintiffs are not going to see a penny of the settlement (or at best, a very small fraction). Jones is going to make out like a bandit on this.
The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
Isn't this slander though? He made false comments that had adverse affects. That isn't free speech.
I agree. But the right wing response is he's being punished for free speech. All the whining about twitter bans, etc. has brought out this "free speech absolutist" thing that probably takes the pro-Fire in a Crowded Theater view.
Whether this will change anything legally to enable harassment, I don't know. But I do believe that 20 years ago, nobody would be standing up for this turd.
1995 Milwaukee 1998 Alpine, Alpine 2003 Albany, Boston, Boston, Boston 2004 Boston, Boston 2006 Hartford, St. Paul (Petty), St. Paul (Petty) 2011 Alpine, Alpine 2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
And Jones was live broadcasting while the verdict was being read....mocking the amounts.
He doesn't care at this point, I mean would you? The amount is absurd and he needs to pay them somehow.
His best bet is to move and not come back.
mocking proceedings, asking for money, then talking appeal.
He's a jerk but I get why he doesn't care at this point.
If I heard right it's not even all of the families that sued him so far.
I get Connecticut suing him, that was where the incident occurred but never dug into why Texas is suing?
neither the states of Ct or Tx are suing. Plaintiffs filed in those locations.
Thanks for the input. You know what I meant...
no. I didnt. It made it seem as if the states drove this.
Tx filings I would assume is because he/company is based there. Ct filings may have been a ploy to draw jury sympathies from localish citizens. family travel and expenese would play a role too I expect.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
And Jones was live broadcasting while the verdict was being read....mocking the amounts.
He doesn't care at this point, I mean would you? The amount is absurd and he needs to pay them somehow.
His best bet is to move and not come back.
mocking proceedings, asking for money, then talking appeal.
He's a jerk but I get why he doesn't care at this point.
If I heard right it's not even all of the families that sued him so far.
I get Connecticut suing him, that was where the incident occurred but never dug into why Texas is suing?
neither the states of Ct or Tx are suing. Plaintiffs filed in those locations.
Thanks for the input. You know what I meant...
no. I didnt. It made it seem as if the states drove this.
Tx filings I would assume is because he/company is based there. Ct filings may have been a ploy to draw jury sympathies from localish citizens. family travel and expenese would play a role too I expect.
there may be reporting on this somewhere.
Really? I mentioned the families and where they were from. I should have put "in" Ct and TX...
Again, CT I get. Texas and the one family there and not all of them is just weird. i tried to find an article why but nothing is coming up.
If this is the case then Jones could most likely be sued in every state?
Jones's followers are going to send him a ton of money and guess what...the plaintiffs are not going to see a penny of the settlement (or at best, a very small fraction). Jones is going to make out like a bandit on this.
The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
Isn't this slander though? He made false comments that had adverse affects. That isn't free speech.
I agree. But the right wing response is he's being punished for free speech. All the whining about twitter bans, etc. has brought out this "free speech absolutist" thing that probably takes the pro-Fire in a Crowded Theater view.
Whether this will change anything legally to enable harassment, I don't know. But I do believe that 20 years ago, nobody would be standing up for this turd.
So Mick mentioned it's Defamation not slander.
I do not get the "free speech" angle? If it did cause harm, which it did, it should have a penalty.
Jones's followers are going to send him a ton of money and guess what...the plaintiffs are not going to see a penny of the settlement (or at best, a very small fraction). Jones is going to make out like a bandit on this.
The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
Isn't this slander though? He made false comments that had adverse affects. That isn't free speech.
I agree. But the right wing response is he's being punished for free speech. All the whining about twitter bans, etc. has brought out this "free speech absolutist" thing that probably takes the pro-Fire in a Crowded Theater view.
Whether this will change anything legally to enable harassment, I don't know. But I do believe that 20 years ago, nobody would be standing up for this turd.
So Mick mentioned it's Defamation not slander.
I do not get the "free speech" angle? If it did cause harm, which it did, it should have a penalty.
think their argument is speech without consequence.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Uvalde families are suing because he’s doing the same thing to them that he did to the Newtown families and he’s doing to Parkland. Same line of attack, same disinformation and same result with his delusional followers. He will pay and anyone who donates to him, any money received will be seized and forfeited. It’ll take time but it’ll happen and that money will eventually get to the victims who filed suit. Jail will humble him when the time comes. Tick Tock spastic.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Alex Jones ordered to pay $473M more to Sandy Hook families
By DAVE COLLINS
53 mins ago
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Infowars host Alex Jones and his company were ordered by a judge Thursday to pay an extra $473 million for promoting false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook school massacre, bringing the total judgment against him in a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families to a staggering $1.44 billion.
Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis imposed the punitive damages on the Infowars host and Free Speech Systems. Jones repeatedly told his millions of followers the massacre that killed 20 first graders and six educators was staged by “crisis actors” to enact more gun control.
“The record clearly supports the plaintiffs' argument that the defendants' conduct was intentional and malicious, and certain to cause harm by virtue of their infrastructure, ability to spread content, and massive audience including the infowarriors,” the judge wrote in a 45-page ruling.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said he hopes the award sends a message to conspiracy theorists who profit from lies.
“The Court recognized the ‘intentional, malicious ... and heinous’ conduct of Mr. Jones and his business entities,” Mattei said in a statement.
On his show Thursday, Jones called the award “ridiculous" and a “joke" and said he has little money to pay the damages.
“Well, of course I'm laughing at it,” he said. “It'd be like if you sent me a bill for a billion dollars in the mail. Oh man, we got you. It's all for psychological effect. It's all the Wizard of Oz ... when they know full well the bankruptcy going on and all the rest of it, that it'll show what I've got and that's it, and I have almost nothing.”
Eight victims' relatives and the FBI agent testified during a monthlong trial about being threatened and harassed for years by people who deny the shooting happened. Strangers showed up at some of their homes and confronted some of them in public. People hurled abusive comments at them on social media and in emails. Some received death and rape threats.
Six jurors ordered Jones to pay $965 million to compensate the 15 plaintiffs for defamation, infliction of emotional distress and violations of Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Jones, who lives and works in Austin, Texas, has bashed the trial as unfair and an assault on free speech rights. He says he will appeal the verdicts. He also has said he doesn't have the money to pay such huge verdicts, because he has less than $2 million to his name — which contradicted testimony at a similar trial in Texas. Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Jones said Thursday that he has only a “couple hundred thousand dollars” in his savings account.
Jones' lawyer, Norm Pattis, wrote in a text message to the The Associated Press, “To paraphrase Karl Marx, the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work on appeal that much easier.”
Bellis found Jones and Infowars' parent company liable for damages without a trial last year, as a consequence for what she called his repeated failures to turn over many financial documents and other records to the plaintiffs. After the unusual “default” ruling, the jury was tasked only with deciding on the amount of compensatory damages and whether punitive damages were warranted.
Jones says that he turned over thousands of documents and that the default ruling deprived him of his right to present a defense against the lawsuit.
The punitive damages include about $323 million for the plaintiffs' attorney fees and costs and $150 million for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In Connecticut, punitive damages for defamation and infliction of emotional distress are generally limited to plaintiffs' legal fees. The Sandy Hook plaintiffs' lawyers are to get one-third of the $965 million in compensatory damages under a retainer agreement.
But there is no cap on punitive damages for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act. The plaintiffs had not asked for a specific amount of punitive damages, but under one hypothetical calculation they said such damages could be around $2.75 trillion under the law.
In a similar trial in Texas in August, Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of another child killed in the Sandy Hook shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. A forensic economist testified during that trial that Jones and Free Speech Systems have a combined net worth as high as $270 million.
Jones hawks nutritional supplements, survival gear and other products on his show, which airs on the Infowars website and dozens of radio stations. Evidence at the Connecticut trial showed his sales spiked around a time he talked about the Sandy Hook shooting, leading the plaintiffs’ lawyers to say he was profiting off the tragedy.
In documents recently filed in Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy case in Texas, a budget for the company for Oct. 29 to Nov. 25 estimated product sales would total $2.5 million, while operating expenses would be about $740,000. Jones’ salary was listed at $20,000 every two weeks.
On Wednesday, Bellis, the Connecticut judge, ordered Jones to not move any of his assets out of the country, as the families seek to attach his holdings to secure money for the damages. Jones, meanwhile, has asked the judge to order a new trial or at least reduce the compensatory damages to a “nominal” amount.
A third and final trial over Jones' hoax claims is expected to begin around the end of the year in Texas. As in Connecticut, Jones was found liable for damages without trials in both Texas cases because he failed to turned over many records to the plaintiffs.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Judge backs full $49M jury award against Alex Jones in Texas
22 Nov 2022
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge said Tuesday she will not lower a nearly $50 million punishment against Alex Jones that a jury handed down earlier this year over the Infowars host spreading false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
The decision in Texas by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble is another defeat for Jones and notable because a state law has raised questions about how much of the punishment would stand.
In most civil cases, Texas law limits how much defendants have to pay in “exemplary,” or punitive, damages to twice the “economic damages” plus up to $750,000. But jurors are not told about this cap, and eye-popping verdicts are often hacked down by judges. But Gamble said she would enter a judgment for the full amount.
Jones could appeal and has already said he has little money to pay the damages. He said during the Connecticut trial he has less than $2 million to his name, which contradicted testimony at the trial in Texas. Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Twenty children and six adults died in the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Its going to take a while but their grandkids may eventually see some $$$.
Alex Jones files for bankruptcy, owing nearly $1.5B to Sandy Hook families
Infowars founder Alex Jones filed for bankruptcy Friday, weeks after the total he owes in damages to the families of victims of the 2012 mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., reached nearly $1.5 billion.
Jones, 48, has been ordered to pay $1.4 billion in a Connecticut case and $45.2 million in a Texas case to families harmed by his years of lies that the Sandy Hook massacre, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, was a hoax. Jones and his attorney have said he will appeal.
Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas, Jones listed more than $969 million owed to 17 people in the Sandy Hook cases in his bankruptcy filing, marking all the claims as “disputed.”
He said that his assets were between $1 million and $10 million and that his debts were between $1 billion and $10 billion. He said that his debts were primarily business debts and estimated that he owed 50 to 99 creditors. He also listed $150,000 in credit card debt. Jones filed for bankruptcy for Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, in July.
Lawyers for Jones did not respond to an email and a phone call from The Washington Post on Friday morning.
The Chapter 11 filing Friday was the latest turn in Jones’s financial battle as he faces the Sandy Hook lawsuits.
Ahead of his trials, Jones began transferring millions from Free Speech Systems to other companies he, his family or friends are affiliated with, The Post found. He has accrued wealth from Infowars and the sale of dietary supplements.
He filed for bankruptcy protection for Infowars in April. In July, as one of his defamation trials unfolded in Texas and just before jury selection began in his trial in Connecticut, Jones filed for bankruptcy for Free Speech Systems. Attorneys for the Sandy Hook families have accused Jones of attempting to delay accountability.
Chris Mattei, an attorney representing Sandy Hook families in Connecticut, called the Friday bankruptcy filing a “cowardly” move in a statement to The Post.
“The bankruptcy system does not protect anyone who engages in intentional and egregious attacks on others, as Mr. Jones did,” Mattei said. “The American judicial system will hold Alex Jones accountable, and we will never stop working to enforce the jury’s verdict.”
The most recent penalty was levied against Jones last month, when a Connecticut judge added $473 million to the $965 million Jones had been ordered to pay the families of eight victims.
On his podcast, Jones called the penalty “preposterous” and indicated that he could not pay it. His lawyer, Norm Pattis, told The Post in a statement that the ruling was a farce.
“It makes our work on the appeal that much easier,” Pattis said at the time.
The right-wing conspiracy theorist spread falsehoods after the December 2012 massacre, claiming it was staged and that the parents of victims were actors. Families of the victims testified that the false claims subjected them to harassment and threats from conspiracy theorists, compounding their suffering.
Jones said in a deposition that he believed the shootings occurred and blamed his behavior on having “like a form of psychosis back in the past.” At the Connecticut trial in September, however, he lashed out during testimony, saying he had already apologized and was “done saying I’m sorry.”
Jones has continued hosting his Infowars segment, which on Thursday provided a platform for antisemitism from the rapper Ye, who praised Nazis and Adolf Hitler in an interview with Jones. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, said he liked Hitler, loved Jewish people and loved Nazis, to which Jones responded with a laugh, saying, “Well, I have to disagree with that.” The episode has drawn condemnation from politicians, Jewish groups and others.
Alex Jones would get $520,000 salary under bankruptcy plan
By DAVE COLLINS
2 hours ago
Alex Jones' media company has proposed a plan in its bankruptcy case to pay the conspiracy theorist $520,000 a year while leaving $7 million to $10 million annually to pay off creditors, including relatives of Sandy Hook shooting victims.
The Sandy Hook families won nearly $1.5 billion in lawsuits last year against the Infowars host, for his calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, a hoax perpetrated by crisis actors. The families also said they were harassed and threatened by Jones' followers.
But it remains unclear how much money the Sandy Hook families will actually get from Jones and Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems. Jones is appealing the verdicts and has said on his show that he has $2 million or less to his name.
Free Speech Systems, owned solely by Jones, filed a proposed reorganization plan Tuesday in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in Houston that predicts it will have $7 million to $10 million annually after expenses to pay creditors from 2023 to 2027. The judge in the case, which was filed last year, would determine who gets that money and how much.
A bankruptcy lawyer for Jones did not respond to an email message Tuesday. Lawyers in Texas and Connecticut for the Sandy Hook families declined to comment.
The new filing shows the company expects to sell more than $30 million a year in dietary supplements, which Jones hawks on his show and are the company's main source of income.
Meanwhile, Jones and an expected new chief operating officer would each be paid $520,000 per year. The company also would hand out $560,000 to nearly $1.3 million per year in executive incentives and another $352,000 to $677,000 in employee bonuses annually.
Free Speech Systems, which has more than 40 employees, would pay $780,000 to $940,000 per year all together to its workers. It would pay another $839,000 to $1 million annually to contract employees.
Jones, who lives and works in Austin, Texas, also has filed for personal bankruptcy.
“I’m officially out of money, personally,” Jones said on Infowars in December. “It’s all going to be filed. It’s all going to be public. And you will see that Alex Jones has almost no cash.”
That contradicted testimony at one of last year's trials by a forensic economist who said Jones and his company had a combined net worth as high as $270 million.
The Sandy Hook families are contesting parts of Free Speech System's bankruptcy, including a more than $50 million debt the company says it owns to another creditor, PQPR Holdings Limited LLC. Free Speech Systems buys dietary supplements from PQPR to sell on the Infowars website.
Jones has an ownership stake in PQPR, which is managed by his father, David Jones, according to the filing by Free Speech Systems.
During a hearing related to Jones' personal bankruptcy case on Wednesday, lawyers for both Jones and his creditors expressed frustration with difficulties in obtaining accurate financial information from Jones that have caused delays in the filing of required court documents.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Comments
His best bet is to move and not come back.
mocking proceedings, asking for money, then talking appeal.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
www.headstonesband.com
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
But even he, he's not a billionaire, so how does it work? I imagine they get a mere pittance of the actual total settlement.
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The hope, I suppose, is that this serves as a deterrent for others engaging in similar behaviors. Maybe it will. I don't think this was ever about the money for the plaintiffs. A bunch of loonies made their lives hell because a deranged jackass made them out to be the grifters. I like the message the verdict sent, but I don't know if it'll ultimately be all that meaningful.
This is a big test for "free-speech absolutism." It looks split in the court of public opinion.
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
But yeah....my feed is full of "so much for freedom of speech" idiocy
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If I heard right it's not even all of the families that sued him so far.
I get Connecticut suing him, that was where the incident occurred but never dug into why Texas is suing?
defamation. thats what this lawsuit centered on.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Whether this will change anything legally to enable harassment, I don't know. But I do believe that 20 years ago, nobody would be standing up for this turd.
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Again, CT I get. Texas and the one family there and not all of them is just weird. i tried to find an article why but nothing is coming up.
If this is the case then Jones could most likely be sued in every state?
I do not get the "free speech" angle? If it did cause harm, which it did, it should have a penalty.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
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Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
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Off topic but kind of relevant, I got a Birds aren't Real shirt for my Bday. I plan on having more so I can wear one each day, lol.
stupid shit sells.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Infowars host Alex Jones and his company were ordered by a judge Thursday to pay an extra $473 million for promoting false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook school massacre, bringing the total judgment against him in a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families to a staggering $1.44 billion.
Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis imposed the punitive damages on the Infowars host and Free Speech Systems. Jones repeatedly told his millions of followers the massacre that killed 20 first graders and six educators was staged by “crisis actors” to enact more gun control.
“The record clearly supports the plaintiffs' argument that the defendants' conduct was intentional and malicious, and certain to cause harm by virtue of their infrastructure, ability to spread content, and massive audience including the infowarriors,” the judge wrote in a 45-page ruling.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said he hopes the award sends a message to conspiracy theorists who profit from lies.
“The Court recognized the ‘intentional, malicious ... and heinous’ conduct of Mr. Jones and his business entities,” Mattei said in a statement.
On his show Thursday, Jones called the award “ridiculous" and a “joke" and said he has little money to pay the damages.
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“Well, of course I'm laughing at it,” he said. “It'd be like if you sent me a bill for a billion dollars in the mail. Oh man, we got you. It's all for psychological effect. It's all the Wizard of Oz ... when they know full well the bankruptcy going on and all the rest of it, that it'll show what I've got and that's it, and I have almost nothing.”
Eight victims' relatives and the FBI agent testified during a monthlong trial about being threatened and harassed for years by people who deny the shooting happened. Strangers showed up at some of their homes and confronted some of them in public. People hurled abusive comments at them on social media and in emails. Some received death and rape threats.
Six jurors ordered Jones to pay $965 million to compensate the 15 plaintiffs for defamation, infliction of emotional distress and violations of Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Jones, who lives and works in Austin, Texas, has bashed the trial as unfair and an assault on free speech rights. He says he will appeal the verdicts. He also has said he doesn't have the money to pay such huge verdicts, because he has less than $2 million to his name — which contradicted testimony at a similar trial in Texas. Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Jones said Thursday that he has only a “couple hundred thousand dollars” in his savings account.
Jones' lawyer, Norm Pattis, wrote in a text message to the The Associated Press, “To paraphrase Karl Marx, the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work on appeal that much easier.”
Bellis found Jones and Infowars' parent company liable for damages without a trial last year, as a consequence for what she called his repeated failures to turn over many financial documents and other records to the plaintiffs. After the unusual “default” ruling, the jury was tasked only with deciding on the amount of compensatory damages and whether punitive damages were warranted.
Jones says that he turned over thousands of documents and that the default ruling deprived him of his right to present a defense against the lawsuit.
The punitive damages include about $323 million for the plaintiffs' attorney fees and costs and $150 million for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In Connecticut, punitive damages for defamation and infliction of emotional distress are generally limited to plaintiffs' legal fees. The Sandy Hook plaintiffs' lawyers are to get one-third of the $965 million in compensatory damages under a retainer agreement.
But there is no cap on punitive damages for violations of the Unfair Trade Practices Act. The plaintiffs had not asked for a specific amount of punitive damages, but under one hypothetical calculation they said such damages could be around $2.75 trillion under the law.
In a similar trial in Texas in August, Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of another child killed in the Sandy Hook shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. A forensic economist testified during that trial that Jones and Free Speech Systems have a combined net worth as high as $270 million.
Jones hawks nutritional supplements, survival gear and other products on his show, which airs on the Infowars website and dozens of radio stations. Evidence at the Connecticut trial showed his sales spiked around a time he talked about the Sandy Hook shooting, leading the plaintiffs’ lawyers to say he was profiting off the tragedy.
In documents recently filed in Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy case in Texas, a budget for the company for Oct. 29 to Nov. 25 estimated product sales would total $2.5 million, while operating expenses would be about $740,000. Jones’ salary was listed at $20,000 every two weeks.
On Wednesday, Bellis, the Connecticut judge, ordered Jones to not move any of his assets out of the country, as the families seek to attach his holdings to secure money for the damages. Jones, meanwhile, has asked the judge to order a new trial or at least reduce the compensatory damages to a “nominal” amount.
A third and final trial over Jones' hoax claims is expected to begin around the end of the year in Texas. As in Connecticut, Jones was found liable for damages without trials in both Texas cases because he failed to turned over many records to the plaintiffs.
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge said Tuesday she will not lower a nearly $50 million punishment against Alex Jones that a jury handed down earlier this year over the Infowars host spreading false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
Since that August trial in Texas, other judgments against Jones in Connecticut have stacked up to a staggering $1.44 billion — setting up what experts say is likely a long fight ahead for Sandy Hook families to try to collect that money.
The decision in Texas by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble is another defeat for Jones and notable because a state law has raised questions about how much of the punishment would stand.
In most civil cases, Texas law limits how much defendants have to pay in “exemplary,” or punitive, damages to twice the “economic damages” plus up to $750,000. But jurors are not told about this cap, and eye-popping verdicts are often hacked down by judges. But Gamble said she would enter a judgment for the full amount.
Jones could appeal and has already said he has little money to pay the damages. He said during the Connecticut trial he has less than $2 million to his name, which contradicted testimony at the trial in Texas. Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems, meanwhile, is seeking bankruptcy protection.
Twenty children and six adults died in the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones
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Alex Jones files for bankruptcy, owing nearly $1.5B to Sandy Hook families
Infowars founder Alex Jones filed for bankruptcy Friday, weeks after the total he owes in damages to the families of victims of the 2012 mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., reached nearly $1.5 billion.
Jones, 48, has been ordered to pay $1.4 billion in a Connecticut case and $45.2 million in a Texas case to families harmed by his years of lies that the Sandy Hook massacre, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, was a hoax. Jones and his attorney have said he will appeal.
Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas, Jones listed more than $969 million owed to 17 people in the Sandy Hook cases in his bankruptcy filing, marking all the claims as “disputed.”
He said that his assets were between $1 million and $10 million and that his debts were between $1 billion and $10 billion. He said that his debts were primarily business debts and estimated that he owed 50 to 99 creditors. He also listed $150,000 in credit card debt. Jones filed for bankruptcy for Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, in July.
Lawyers for Jones did not respond to an email and a phone call from The Washington Post on Friday morning.
The Chapter 11 filing Friday was the latest turn in Jones’s financial battle as he faces the Sandy Hook lawsuits.
Ahead of his trials, Jones began transferring millions from Free Speech Systems to other companies he, his family or friends are affiliated with, The Post found. He has accrued wealth from Infowars and the sale of dietary supplements.
He filed for bankruptcy protection for Infowars in April. In July, as one of his defamation trials unfolded in Texas and just before jury selection began in his trial in Connecticut, Jones filed for bankruptcy for Free Speech Systems. Attorneys for the Sandy Hook families have accused Jones of attempting to delay accountability.
Chris Mattei, an attorney representing Sandy Hook families in Connecticut, called the Friday bankruptcy filing a “cowardly” move in a statement to The Post.
“The bankruptcy system does not protect anyone who engages in intentional and egregious attacks on others, as Mr. Jones did,” Mattei said. “The American judicial system will hold Alex Jones accountable, and we will never stop working to enforce the jury’s verdict.”
The most recent penalty was levied against Jones last month, when a Connecticut judge added $473 million to the $965 million Jones had been ordered to pay the families of eight victims.
On his podcast, Jones called the penalty “preposterous” and indicated that he could not pay it. His lawyer, Norm Pattis, told The Post in a statement that the ruling was a farce.
“It makes our work on the appeal that much easier,” Pattis said at the time.
The right-wing conspiracy theorist spread falsehoods after the December 2012 massacre, claiming it was staged and that the parents of victims were actors. Families of the victims testified that the false claims subjected them to harassment and threats from conspiracy theorists, compounding their suffering.
Jones said in a deposition that he believed the shootings occurred and blamed his behavior on having “like a form of psychosis back in the past.” At the Connecticut trial in September, however, he lashed out during testimony, saying he had already apologized and was “done saying I’m sorry.”
Jones has continued hosting his Infowars segment, which on Thursday provided a platform for antisemitism from the rapper Ye, who praised Nazis and Adolf Hitler in an interview with Jones. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, said he liked Hitler, loved Jewish people and loved Nazis, to which Jones responded with a laugh, saying, “Well, I have to disagree with that.” The episode has drawn condemnation from politicians, Jewish groups and others.
Alex Jones files for bankruptcy as he owes $1.5 billion to Sandy Hook families - The Washington Post
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Alex Jones' media company has proposed a plan in its bankruptcy case to pay the conspiracy theorist $520,000 a year while leaving $7 million to $10 million annually to pay off creditors, including relatives of Sandy Hook shooting victims.
The Sandy Hook families won nearly $1.5 billion in lawsuits last year against the Infowars host, for his calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, a hoax perpetrated by crisis actors. The families also said they were harassed and threatened by Jones' followers.
But it remains unclear how much money the Sandy Hook families will actually get from Jones and Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems. Jones is appealing the verdicts and has said on his show that he has $2 million or less to his name.
Free Speech Systems, owned solely by Jones, filed a proposed reorganization plan Tuesday in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in Houston that predicts it will have $7 million to $10 million annually after expenses to pay creditors from 2023 to 2027. The judge in the case, which was filed last year, would determine who gets that money and how much.
A bankruptcy lawyer for Jones did not respond to an email message Tuesday. Lawyers in Texas and Connecticut for the Sandy Hook families declined to comment.
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The new filing shows the company expects to sell more than $30 million a year in dietary supplements, which Jones hawks on his show and are the company's main source of income.
Meanwhile, Jones and an expected new chief operating officer would each be paid $520,000 per year. The company also would hand out $560,000 to nearly $1.3 million per year in executive incentives and another $352,000 to $677,000 in employee bonuses annually.
Free Speech Systems, which has more than 40 employees, would pay $780,000 to $940,000 per year all together to its workers. It would pay another $839,000 to $1 million annually to contract employees.
Jones, who lives and works in Austin, Texas, also has filed for personal bankruptcy.
“I’m officially out of money, personally,” Jones said on Infowars in December. “It’s all going to be filed. It’s all going to be public. And you will see that Alex Jones has almost no cash.”
That contradicted testimony at one of last year's trials by a forensic economist who said Jones and his company had a combined net worth as high as $270 million.
The Sandy Hook families are contesting parts of Free Speech System's bankruptcy, including a more than $50 million debt the company says it owns to another creditor, PQPR Holdings Limited LLC. Free Speech Systems buys dietary supplements from PQPR to sell on the Infowars website.
Jones has an ownership stake in PQPR, which is managed by his father, David Jones, according to the filing by Free Speech Systems.
During a hearing related to Jones' personal bankruptcy case on Wednesday, lawyers for both Jones and his creditors expressed frustration with difficulties in obtaining accurate financial information from Jones that have caused delays in the filing of required court documents.
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