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Elon Musk set the tone for his first full day as head of Twitter with a response to @catturd2. “I will be digging in more today,” Musk tweeted in response Friday morning. As of Friday morning, Trump’s account was still suspended, and trending topics included everything from the news of the day (Paul Pelosi) to culture (#FridayFeeling, Rihanna). “Elon” was one of the top trending topics of the morning, and many conservative influencers who had been critical of Twitter’s moderation were already celebrating what they saw as a tectonic shift. Those downloads, however, are still less than 5,000 per day, while Twitter often still sees hundreds of thousands of downloads per day, according to Adam Blacker, vice president of insights at Apptopia.

☆ Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1B Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday, but said he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families will be filing a brief opposing Jones’ request. Twenty first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the attack on Dec. 14, 2012. The verdicts came after another jury in Texas in August ordered Jones and his company to pay nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of another slain Sandy Hook child. A third trial over the hoax claims, involving two more Sandy Hook parents, is expected to be held near the end of the year in Texas. Pattis, Jones’ lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly connecting Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.

An attorney for Jones, Norm Pattis, said in an email Friday that he is confident the verdict will be reversed on appeal. The families say they suffered a decade of harassment and death threats from people who believed the bogus claims. The Connecticut jury found Jones and Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems LLC should also pay punitive damages, which are set to be determined by a judge after several days of hearings next month. In their filing Friday, the families offered various methods of calculating punitive damages in similar cases. The Connecticut verdict came several months after a jury in Texas awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in damages.

☆ Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Alex Jones arrives at the court house as he faces a second defamation trial over Sandy Hook claims in Waterbury, Connecticut, September 22, 2022. Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday, but said he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families will be filing a brief opposing Jones' request. Twenty first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the attack on Dec. 14, 2012. A third trial over the hoax claims, involving two more Sandy Hook parents, is expected to be held near the end of the year in Texas. Pattis, Jones' lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly connecting Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.

☆ Why is Alex Jones getting sued — and why lawsuits are not enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Yunkang Yang | Dr. Yunkang Yang Is An Assistant Professor Of Communication At Texas A M University. An Expert In U.S. Right-Wing Media | Social Media | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

A Connecticut jury on Wednesday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion for defaming the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting victims. Misinformation purveyors often use a variety of rhetorical techniques to create misleading impressions without making demonstrably false statements. Indeed, misinformation purveyors often use a variety of rhetorical techniques to create misleading impressions without making demonstrably false statements. These different layers provide a multiplicity of points of resistance to the efforts to hold misinformation purveyors accountable. But they are not a solution to the lie machines built by incredibly savvy, incredibly cynical pundits like Alex Jones.

☆ Alex Jones faces long odds hiding assets after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It also comes three months after a Texas jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in a similar case. An economist in the Texas case estimated that Jones is personally worth between $135 million and $270 million. “No bankruptcy judge would allow Alex Jones and his dad to stand in line in front of the plaintiffs,” Myers said. 'EGREGIOUS' CONDUCTInfowars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. D’Amico said a billion-dollar verdict is appropriate given the uniquely tragic circumstances of the case and egregious nature of Jones’ conduct.

“He may be forced to live a subsistence type of life,” said Richard Signorelli, a New York attorney and former federal prosecutor. Jones and his companies today are worth $135 million to $270 million, forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified in August at another defamation trial for Jones in Texas. The amount eventually paid out by Jones may be less, according to Ryan O’Neill, a defamation lawyer and professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law. If it is found to be dischargeable, Jones would be required to make disclosures about his finances, Gessin said. “I don’t think he’s going to be able to escape this judgment,” he said.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay $965 million in damages by a Connecticut jury for repeatedly claiming on his Infowars platform that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a government hoax. What happened in the Connecticut case against Mr. Jones? Mr. Jones was found liable for defamation in a case brought by eight of the families whose loved ones died in the elementary school shooting, as well as a Federal Bureau of Investigation officer who was a first responder. On Wednesday, a jury rendered a verdict on how much Mr. Jones should pay.

☆ Alex Jones’ conspiracy empire hangs in the balance after jury’s nearly $1 billion award to Sandy Hook families
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Judgment Day arrived on Wednesday for Alex Jones — and he said that it felt like he landed in Hell. “This must be what Hell’s like,” the notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist said on an Infowars livestream as a Connecticut jury awarded plaintiffs a staggering nearly $1 billion in damages. The families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims actually know what Hell feels like. Jones put them there with his heinous conspiracy theories and lies about the 2012 shooting, which he repeated again and again over the years, ignoring pleas to stop. And it is, unfortunately, more popular than ever, with right-wing media stars and top Republican politicians emulating Jones’ modus operandi.

☆ How much will Sandy Hook parents actually get from Alex Jones?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN Business —Alex Jones owes $965 million to eight family members of Sandy Hook shooting victims and a first responder. Jones was hit with that staggering jury award Wednesday for compensatory damages caused by his repeated lies about the shooting. Plaintiffs in the case said the reason they sued was to stop Alex Jones from continuing to spread lies and hurt other people. The fact that Jones might be reviled, and the plaintiffs are so sympathetic, shouldn’t be a factor, he added. “In the justice system, Alex Jones and Mother Teresa should be treated the same,” Rustad said.

Infowars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. The plaintiffs were relatives of 20 children and six staff members who were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The families, meanwhile, suffered a decade-long campaign of harassment and death threats by Jones’ followers, attorney Chris Mattei said. The trial was marked by weeks of anguished testimony from the families, who filled the gallery each day and took turns recounting how Jones’ lies about Sandy Hook compounded their grief. In August, another jury found that Jones and his company must pay $49.3 million to Sandy Hook parents in a similar case in Austin, Texas, where the headquarters of Jones' Infowars conspiracy theory website is located.

The families claimed Jones profited off the lies while they were harassed and abused by those who believed him. This is the second trial related to his Sandy Hook conspiracy theories. In August, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse was killed in the massacre. “Every single one of these families were drowning in grief, and Alex Jones put his foot right on top of them." A defiant Jones said he believed Sandy Hook was a hoax when he spread his lies.

☆ Jury Orders Alex Jones to Pay $965 Million in Damages for Sandy Hook Claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Erin Mulvaney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Infowars founder Alex Jones arriving with private security guards to speak to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial in Waterbury, Conn., last week. A Connecticut jury ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $965 million in damages for repeatedly claiming on his Infowars platform that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a government hoax. The verdict follows a nearly monthlong trial on how much Mr. Jones should pay after he was found liable for defamation in a case brought by eight of the families whose loved ones died in the elementary school shooting, as well as a Federal Bureau of Investigation officer who was a first responder.

Infowars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoOct 12 (Reuters) - A Connecticut jury began its third day of deliberations on Wednesday to decide how much conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting for falsely claiming that the massacre was a hoax. Closing arguments concluded last Thursday in Waterbury, Connecticut, not far from where a gunman killed 20 schoolchildren and six staff members in the town of Newtown. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIn August, another jury found Jones and his company must pay $49.3 million to Sandy Hook parents in a similar case in Austin, Texas, where his Infowars website is based. Jones, who has since acknowledged the shooting occurred, also testified, railed against his "liberal" critics and refused to apologize to the families.

☆ Alex Jones faces a reckoning, but the style of politics he popularized is here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Alex Jones’ day of reckoning has arrived. A jury in Connecticut decided that the right-wing conspiracy theorist should pay eight families of Sandy Hook shooting victims and a first-responder a staggering $965 million. The decision comes shortly after a trial in Texas where a jury found that the Infowars founder should pay a separate pair of Sandy Hook parents who sued him in the Lone Star state nearly $50 million. In total, the lies told by Jones about the Sandy Hook shooting have so far cost him more than $1 billion. While Jones may face a reckoning, nearly a decade after his heinous lie about the Sandy Hook shooting, the corrosive blueprint that catapulted him to fame and fortune on the political right is here to stay.

REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlinOct 12 (Reuters) - A Connecticut jury on Wednesday ordered U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $965 million for spreading falsehoods about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting. December 2012 - A gunman kills 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, using a Remington Bushmaster rifle. May 23, 2018 - Fourteen relatives of Sandy Hook victims sue Jones and four entities connected to Jones in Connecticut state court. Oct. 31, 2018 - Another Sandy Hook parent sues Jones and Free Speech Systems in Texas, where Jones' radio show and webcast are based. The case was dismissed in June after the Sandy Hook parents intervened, arguing it was a stall tactic.

☆ Alex Jones: Jury decides conspiracy theorist should pay nearly $1 billion in damages to Sandy Hook families for his lies about the school massacre
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Plaintiffs in the trial included family members of eight school students and employees, in addition to one FBI agent who responded to the scene. He was streaming live when the jury’s decision was read in court, mocked the decision on his Infowars show and used it to fundraise. The figure, he said, would represent the more than 550 million online impressions Jones’ Sandy Hook lie allegedly received online. The decision in Connecticut comes two months after a separate jury in Texas determined that Jones and his company should award two Sandy Hook parents who sued in that state nearly $50 million. While Jones initially lied about the 2012 shooting, he later acknowledged that the massacre had occurred as he faced multiple lawsuits.

☆ Alex Jones Avoids Sandy Hook Damages Trial Witness Stand
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Erin Mulvaney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Connecticut trial related to the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ’s statements on the Sandy Hook school massacre took an unexpected turn Friday as the Infowars founder avoided the witness stand and criticized the proceedings—and the presiding judge—outside the courthouse. Mr. Jones had been expected to take the stand for a second day in a case that will determine how much he should pay for making defamatory statements about the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults. For years, he claimed to his audience of listeners that the massacre was a government hoax.

☆ Alex Jones Avoids Sandy Hook Damages Trial Witness Stand, Faults Judge
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Erin Mulvaney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ In angry outburst, Infowars host Alex Jones says ‘he’s done being sorry’ during second defamation trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In an angry outburst, conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones said “he’s done being sorry” as he took the stand Thursday during his second defamation trial for saying the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. A defiant Jones said he believed Sandy Hook was a hoax when he spread his lies. Twenty children and six educators were killed after a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and opened fire on Dec. 14, 2012. Alex Jones defamation trials Alex Jones is facing a defamation trial in Connecticut after being found liable for spreading lies that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. This is the second such trial for Jones, who has already been ordered to pay at least $4.1 million to a Sandy Hook family.

☆ Alex Jones admonished by judge as Sandy Hook defamation trial goes off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York (CNN Business) Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tangled Thursday in an explosive courtroom exchange with an attorney for families of Sandy Hook victims who have sued him in Connecticut, prompting an admonishment from the judge and warning that they could be held in contempt if they violate court rules moving forward. The warning from a frustrated Judge Barbara Bellis came during the trial that will determine how much Jones must pay the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims for his lies about the massacre. Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the families , questioned the far-right media personality about his false claim that the 2012 shooting in which 26 people were killed was a "hoax," prompting Jones to grow angry and attack him. Jones accused Mattei of being disingenuous and said he was guilty of "ambulance chasing" before descending into a rant in court about "liberals." Bellis, who had previously warned Jones that some of his outbursts were a violation of court rules, reminded the Infowars founder that he was in a "court of law" and is required to follow her instructions.

☆ Alex Jones grilled by Sandy Hook families’ lawyer over hoax claims, doubles down on ‘deep state’ conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jones baselessly told his audience in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that the incident was staged. In the Connecticut case, where Jones is being sued by eight more Sandy Hook families, Judge Barbara Bellis issued a default judgment against the Infowars founder in November 2021 after he failed to comply with court orders. The attorney argued to the jury that the lies Jones told about the families of Sandy Hook victims were far more damaging than the commentary that had bothered Jones and prompted his legal action. Because the judge already ruled that Jones is liable, the jury is determining the amount in damages to award the plaintiffs. Norman Pattis, Jones’ attorney, has argued that the claims made by the Sandy Hook plaintiffs are “exaggerated.” Pattis has also said the Sandy Hook families have “become partisans” and said the defense will argue the harm has been overstated “because they want to silence [Jones] for political reasons.”

☆ Alex Jones' billion-dollar judgement: The conspiracy theorist has turned career-ending setbacks into profit windfalls, but this could be too much to overcome
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Ashley Collman | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Robbie Parker was later falsely called a crisis actor, and the Parkers are among those who sued Alex Jones for defamation. Longtime informal adviser to Donald Trump, Roger Stone (right), and and Alex Jones (left) speak to reporters in December 2018. Picture showing a computer screen displaying the Twitter account of Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones taken on August 15, 2018 in Washington DC. "Alex Jones is likely to continue being Alex Jones, which means he's likely to try all kinds of shenanigans to avoid accountability," said Holt. "The money awarded in damages does not repair what Alex Jones has done to those parents' lives, but it could be a step towards dismantling the toxic empire that Alex Jones has built around his brand."

☆ Bankruptcy Judge Orders Independent Review of Alex Jones’s Infowars Over Conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Jonathan Randles | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Texas bankruptcy judge ordered an independent review of Infowars’ financial affairs and refused to let the company hire chapter 11 advisers picked by its founder Alex Jones after determining they failed to disclose a professional conflict. Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston said he was concerned that a bankruptcy lawyer and restructuring officer hired by Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems LLC could act as impartial advisers looking out for the broadcasting site and its creditors. Those include families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims who have sued Mr. Jones for spreading falsehoods about the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Conn., which killed 20 first-graders and six adults.

☆ Alex Jones’ Connecticut trial is the latest, but not the last, of the legal fallout from his Sandy Hook hoax claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Jones is currently on trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, about 20 miles from Newtown, where the shooting took place. After a civil trial related to damages last month, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Lewis and Heslin. Under Texas law, punitive damages can be up to twice the amount of economic compensatory damages but limited to $750,000 per plaintiff. Midway through that trial, Jones also filed for bankruptcy on behalf of his company, Free Speech Systems. Prior to his Connecticut trial, Jones’ lawyer tried to transfer the case to a federal bankruptcy court, which the court denied, allowing it to proceed in state court.

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