Who is Alex Jones? Conspiracy theorist loses final Supreme Court appeal in $1.4B Sandy Hook case

The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down Alex Jones’ appeal in the $1.4 billion defamation case tied to the Sandy Hook school shooting. The decision, announced on Tuesday, 10 October, upholds the 2022 Connecticut court ruling that found Jones liable for spreading false claims about the 2012 massacre, ABC News reported.

The gunman opened fire inside the Newtown, Connecticut, school, killing 26, including 20 first graders, before taking his own life. The case was brought by the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims.

What Jones said about the massacre

Jones, who built his Infowars brand on conspiracy theories, had called the shooting a government hoax. Jones repeatedly claimed on his Infowars platform that the shooting was a “false flag” operation. He even called the grieving parents “crisis actors,” per NBC News.

Court rules against Alex Jones

According to Reuters, the defamation payout, considered one of the largest ever awarded in an American libel case, was issued in 2022. A six-member jury awarded $965 million in compensatory damages to 14 family members and an FBI agent. The judge later added $473 million in punitive damages, later reduced on appeal to $323 million, bringing the total to roughly $1.4 billion.

Jones, who declared bankruptcy following the verdict, argued that the massive judgment violated his First Amendment rights and claimed the trial was unfair due to “minor discovery errors.”

Also read: Alex Jones Estate to Be Liquidated to Pay Sandy Hook Debt

Court rejects Alex Jones' final appeal

The Supreme Court declined to take up his case without comment, leaving the Connecticut Appellate Court’s decision intact. Jones’ legal team had hoped to overturn the ruling or at least reduce the award, calling it “unpayable.”

Chris Mattei, the attorney representing the Sandy Hook families, said they “look forward to enforcing the judgment” now that Jones’s “latest desperate attempt to avoid accountability” has failed.

More legal troubles ahead for Alex Jones

Jones also faces a separate $50 million judgment from a Texas case and continues to fight efforts to liquidate his Infowars media empire. He is still facing two additional defamation lawsuits from other Sandy Hook families.

The Supreme Court’s rejection marks the final blow in a legal saga that has lasted nearly a decade - one that’s now left Jones bankrupt.

FAQs

What did the Supreme Court decide in Alex Jones’ case?

The court declined to hear Jones’ appeal, keeping the $1.4 billion Sandy Hook ruling intact.

Why was Alex Jones sued by Sandy Hook families?

He falsely claimed the 2012 school shooting was staged and that grieving parents were “crisis actors.”

How much does Alex Jones owe the Sandy Hook families?

Roughly $1.4 billion in damages from the Connecticut case.