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Jones asked the justices to review both the 2022 trial court
verdict and a lower appeals court ruling in December that upheld
most of the verdict. The Supreme Court turned down his request
without explanation Tuesday.
A Connecticut jury and judge awarded relatives of some of the
victims of the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut,
more than $1.4 billion in damages for defamation and emotional
distress, over Jones' repeated claims that the massacre never
happened. Jones has since acknowledged that the shooting was
“100% real.”
Twenty first graders and six educators were killed. Victims'
relatives testified during the defamation trial that they were
traumatized by Jones’ conspiracies and threats from his
followers.
In December, the state Appellate Court upheld $965 million of
the damages. Two other parents who lost a child in the shooting
were awarded nearly $50 million in a similar lawsuit in Texas
that Jones is appealing.
Jones raised free speech rights, other constitutional questions
and procedural issues in the Connecticut appeal.
“We had a very strong appeal in Connecticut," he said,
expressing frustration on his Infowars show Wednesday.
The Associated Press sent emails seeking comment to Jones'
lawyers Wednesday. A U.S Supreme Court appeal is possible.
Alinor Sterling, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said in a
statement that the state Supreme Court's decision “brings the
Connecticut families another step closer to their goal of
holding Alex Jones accountable for the harms he caused and will
enable them to press forward with collections proceedings
against him.”
Jones filed for personal bankruptcy protection in late 2022
after the Connecticut and Texas verdicts. The case remains
pending and legal wrangling continues over the proposed
liquidation of many of Jones' and Infowars' assets.
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