A Connecticut appeals court on Friday upheld a nearly $1.3 billion defamation verdict against Alex Jones, the founder of Infowars, in a case involving his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting. The court affirmed a jury’s October 2022 decision to award $965 million in damages, plus attorneys’ fees, to the families of the victims, noting the significant mental anguish they endured from Jones’ lies. The judges did, however, throw out $150 million in damages awarded under a state unfair trade practices law, stating it was improperly applied.
Jones had falsely claimed that the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was a staged event orchestrated by the government to promote gun control. Although he later acknowledged the shooting was real, plaintiffs argued Jones profited for years from spreading these falsehoods.
Alinor Sterling, an attorney for the families, praised the ruling, saying it was a step closer to true justice. Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, expressed disappointment, claiming the jury was misled and that Jones was unfairly blamed for the families’ suffering. Jones and Infowars’ parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2022 following similar verdicts in Texas and Connecticut. In November, The Onion announced its bid to purchase Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, though a challenge to the sale is pending.
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