On Thursday, an Austin, Texas, jury found that talk-radio host and founder of Infowars Alex Jones must pay at least $4.1 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a child who was slain in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, which occurred in December of 2012. Jones was accused of spreading conspiracy theories that the shooting was a hoax.
The jury vote on the damages was 10 – 2.
As of now, Jones will need to pay Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the now-divorced parents of six-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was slain in the attack, at least $4.1 million in compensatory damages. Heslin and Lewis both testified that followers of Jones harassed them and even sent death threats as a result of Jones’ reporting on the issue.
The $4.1 million may just be the start of the payments, as Heslin and Lewis are now seeking punitive damages against Jones. The jury is hearing presentations by both sides on Friday to determine Jones’ net worth.
Any punitive damages awarded by the jury could be vastly more than the compensatory damages.
“If jurors’ motivation for an award is their anger at the defendant, then they often award a bigger punitive damage number,” said trial consultant Jill Huntley Taylor.
Attorneys for Heslin and Lewis claim that Jones is worth nearly $270 million.
Last week, Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems LLC, declared bankruptcy. Jones explained on Monday that the bankruptcy declaration will allow his Infowars show to remain on the air while it appeals the court decision.
During testimony earlier this week, Jones acknowledged that the Sandy Hook school shooting was “100 percent” real and apologized to Heslin and Lewis.
“I unintentionally took part in things that did hurt these people’s feelings,” Jones told the court. “and I’m sorry for that.”
Jones’ attorney, Federico Reynal, admitted that Jones may have acted “irresponsibly” regarding the Sandy Hook tragedy but that did not make the talk show host responsible for any harassment Heslin and Lewis may have faced.
An apology clearly wasn’t enough for the parents: “Alex started this fight,” Heslin said, “and I’ll finish this fight.”
The verdict was welcome news to the attorneys for Heslin and Lewis.
“We are very pleased with the verdict, and we are looking forward to the punitive damages phase that starts tomorrow,” said Kyle Farrar, one of the attorneys for the parents.
During closing arguments on Wednesday, Farrar urged jurors to “end this nightmare.”
“Speech is free, but you have to pay for your lies,” Farrar said. The attorney explained that Jones was responsible for years of harassment the plaintiffs experienced.
“He made them live their lives in fear, fear of being harmed or murdered by people who follow the lies,” Farrar said in court.
Reynal, of course, had a different take.
“Unfortunately, in a free society, there is risk associated with choice,” Reynal said. “We live in a community where some people just are unbounded and are going to take action.”
Earlier in the week, controversy occurred when it was found that the contents of Jones’ cellphone, which included what attorneys for Heslin and Lewis called “intimate” messages between Jones and former Trump advisor Roger Stone, were “inadvertently” sent to the legal team representing the parents.
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, who has seemed somewhat adversarial toward Jones throughout the trial, denied a request for a mistrial based on the mistake. Gamble also admonished Jones on Tuesday, claiming he had not been honest about his company’s declaration of bankruptcy the previous week.
Many on the Left are doing a victory lap over Jones’ predicament. Far-left group Occupy Democrats is pushing not only for Jones to be left penniless by the trial, but also that he be imprisoned.
“Alex Jones melts down over his ‘damn’ attorneys accidentally sending his secret ‘raw text messages’ to the opposing counsel, calling it ‘incredibly sick’ — clearly worried that he’ll now be prosecuted and sent to jail for perjury. RT TO DEMAND THAT HE BE LOCKED UP!” the far-left group tweeted.
But Jones is not without supporters. Representative Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) lauded Jones for an answer he gave when asked about government officials aiding pedophilia, sex trafficking, and the grooming of young children.
“You mean like Jeffrey Epstein did with the Clintons?” Jones answered.
With answers such as this, Jones doesn’t appear to be someone who will simply take his punishment and go quietly into the night.
But for any appeals going forward, Jones may want to think about getting new attorneys — the ones who spoke in front of this judge and jury didn’t do him any favors.
