Alex Jones fumes as judge rules he must pay damages to Sandy Hook families
INFOWARS host Alex Jones is fuming after a judge ordered him to pay damages in three defamation lawsuits brought by parents of two children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
On Monday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble entered default judgments against Jones, Infowars and other defendants for their "flagrant bad faith and callous disregard" of court orders to turn over documents to the parents' attorneys.
JURY DECIDES DAMAGES
The cases will move to a jury trial that determines how much Jones and other defendants will have to owe in damages to the victimized families.
The shooting at the Newtown, Connecticut, school on Dec. 14, 2012, killed 26 people, 20 of whom were children.
The 20-year-old gunman had shot and killed his mother at their local home they shared before going to the school to commit mass murder and killing himself as cops arrived.
The television host and conspiracy theorist has for years blamed his conduct on “a form of psychosis” for pushing a baseless theory that one of the deadliest school shootings in American history was a “giant hoax” and staged by actors who oppose the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
After enough pressure, Jones soon acknowledged the school shooting did occur.
Jones' lawyers have tried to battle against the defamation suits claiming his comments about the school shooting were protected by the First Amendment for free speech.
Lawsuits against Jones, Inforwars and others were filed in courts in Texas and Connecticut by families of some of the school shooting victims over the hoax conspiracy, saying his perpetuation of the baseless theories caused them craven harassment and death threats from Jones' faithful.
The Connecticut cases haven’t been resolved.
JONES 'DISTRESSED'
Jones and his attorney in Connecticut, Norman Pattis, opposed the Texas judge's ruling in a published response on the Infowars website titled: "Texas Judge Crucifies First Amendment In Alex Jones/Sandy Hook Case."
"It takes no account of the tens of thousands of documents produced by the defendants, the hours spent sitting for depositions and the various sworn statements filed in these cases," the statement reads.
"We are distressed by what we regard as a blatant abuse of discretion by the trial court. We are determined to see that these cases are heard on the merits."
‘MY OPINIONS HAVE BEEN WRONG’
During depositions, Jones was asked whether anyone should be held accountable if people are hurt by their actions or words.
“Sometimes people claim they've been hurt and they haven't been,” the host answered.
“So you have to look at the agenda behind things.
“I myself have almost had like a form of psychosis back in the past where I basically thought everything was staged.
“Even though I'm now learning a lot of things aren't staged.”
He continued to suggest his opinions have been bogus.
“So I think as a pundit and someone giving an opinion – you know my opinions have been wrong,” said Jones.
“But they were never wrong consciously to hurt people.”
Jones also blamed the hysteria of the media and his deep distrust toward mainstream information and corporations.
“I'm just saying the trauma of the media and the corporations lying so much – then everything begins – you don't rest anything anymore,” said Jones.
“Kind of like a child whose parents lie to him over and over again – pretty soon they don't know what reality is.”
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