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Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $4.1 million to the parents of a first-grader who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, for falsely claiming that the massacre was a hoax.
The verdict of the two-week defamation trial was announced on August 4 in Austin, Texas. During the trial, the parents of the deceased child asked for at least $150 million in compensatory damages from the conspiracy theorist for living through emotional distress and harassment after he spread the misinformation.
Jones, the founder of InfoWars, has repeatedly asserted on his radio and online platform that the school shooting was orchestrated by the federal government. He claimed that the government did so as a cover for gun control and in 2015, he said:
"Sandy Hook is synthetic, completely fake with actors, in my view, manufactured."
As per Celebrity Net Worth, the controversial commentator and conspiracy theorist's net worth is $10 million. It seems to have decreased by tens of millions thanks to his defamation cases over the years.
Alex Jones' misinformation made the life of the slain kid's parents hell
While testifying in court, Scarlett Lewis, the mother of Jesse Lewis, got emotional as she spoke about the aftermath of Jones' claims. Jesse Lewis was six when he was gunned down during the massacre.
Scarlett said:
"I am a mother, first and foremost, and I know that you're a father. And my son existed. You're still on your show implying that I'm an actress, that I'm deep state and I don't understand. Truth is so vital to our world."
Jesse's parents, Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, who have separated since the shooting, claimed that Alex Jones' supporters harassed them. The two said that Jones' supporters also sent them death threats, believing that they were lying about their son's death.
As per the Guardian, the lawyer for the deceased child's parents, Mark Bankston, said that they were happy with the verdict announced on August 4. Bankston noted:
“Mr Jones … will not sleep easy tonight. [They were] thrilled with the result and look forward to putting Mr Jones’s money to good use.”
The jury consisting will now deliberate over Jesse's parents' request for punitive damages for spreading misinformation about the December 14, 2012 massacre. The massacre took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and killed 20 children and six adults.
On this, Bankston said:
“With punitive damages still to be decided and multiple [other pending legal matters], it is clear that Mr Jones’s time on the American stage is finally coming to an end.”
Those considerations are expected to take place on August 5 after both sides present their take on Alex Jones' net worth. Jones' firm, Free Speech Systems LLC, declared bankruptcy during the trial. It reported assets of $14.3 million and liabilities of $79 million.
However, in the next phase of the defamation trial, Scarlett and Neil's lawyers will present their claims that Jones has millions of dollars worth of assets hidden.
