Alex Jones, the radio host of US radio show Infowars, has been fined $49.3 million (more than BRL 250 million) for saying on the air that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, in which 20 children and 6 adults were killed, this was a scam fabricated by the US government.
The parents of one of the victims who brought the case to court. He had sought $150 million for defamation against Alex Jones, the founder of the Infowars website.
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The lawsuit was filed by Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, parents of 6yearold Jesse Lewis, who died in the school massacre. Relatives claim they experienced emotional pain at the lie Jones spread.
The trial took place in Austin, Texas.
2 of 2 Alex Jones outside the Austin Courthouse on August 2, 2022 — Photo: Briana Sanchez/Portal
Alex Jones outside the Austin Courthouse on August 2, 2022 — Photo: Briana Sanchez/Portal
Lies about the framework of government
Jones has repeatedly claimed the massacre was a governmentorganized hoax to restrict Americans’ access to guns. He invented that the dead children’s parents were actors.
First, the jury awarded Heslin and Lewis $4.1 million in damages. Jones called that number a big win. However, in the closing stages of the trial, the same Austin jury added an additional $45.2 million in punitive damages.
Earlier this week, Jones testified that anything over $2 million would “sink.” His company Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, has gone into bankruptcy protection.
The punishment, in addition to compensating the victims, is intended to punish the accused for his conduct. Higher punishment is also seen as a chance for juries to send a broader social message and discourage others from doing the same behavior in the future.
Lawyers for the family asked the jury to put Infowars out of business.