Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones' appeal of $1.4 billion defamation
judgment in Sandy Hook shooting
[October 15, 2025]
By MARK SHERMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from
conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4 billion
judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook
Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors.
The Infowars host had argued that a judge was wrong to find him liable
for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without holding a
trial on the merits of allegations lodged by relatives of victims of the
shooting, which killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown,
Connecticut.
The justices did not comment on their order, which they issued without
even asking the families of the Sandy Hook victims to respond to Jones’
appeal. An FBI agent who responded to the shooting also sued.
A lawyer who represents Sandy Hook families said the Supreme Court had
properly rejected Jones’ "latest desperate attempt to avoid
accountability for the harm he has caused.”
“We look forward to enforcing the jury’s historic verdict and making
Jones and Infowars pay for what they have done,” lawyer Christopher
Mattei said in a statement.
A lawyer representing Jones in the case didn't immediately respond to an
email seeking comment. During his daily show on Tuesday, Jones said his
lawyers believed his case was “cut and dry,” while he had predicted the
high court wouldn't take up his appeal.
“I said no, they will not do it because of politics,” Jones said.
Jones mocked the idea that he has enough money to pay the judgement,
saying his studio equipment, including five-year-old cameras, was only
worth about $304,000.
“It’s all about torturing me. It’s all about harassing me. It’s about
harassing my family. It’s about getting me off the air," said Jones, who
urged his listeners to buy merchandise to keep show running.
[to top of second column]
|
The Supreme Court in Washington, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan
Walsh, File)
Jones filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, and his lawyers told the
justices that the “plaintiffs have no possible hope of collecting”
the entire judgment.
He is separately appealing a $49 million judgment in a similar
defamation lawsuit in Texas after he failed to turn over documents
sought by the parents of another Sandy Hook victim.
In the Connecticut case, the judge issued a rare default ruling
against Jones and his company in late 2021 because of what she
called Jones’ repeated failure to abide by court rulings and to turn
over certain evidence to the Sandy Hook families. The judge convened
a jury to determine how much Jones would owe.
The following year, the jury agreed on a $964 million verdict and
the judge later tacked on another $473 million in punitive damages
against Jones and Free Speech Systems, Infowars’ parent company,
which is based in Austin, Texas.
In November, the satirical news outlet The Onion was named the
winning bidder in an auction to liquidate Infowars’ assets to help
pay the defamation judgments. But the bankruptcy judge threw out the
auction results, citing problems with the process and The Onion’s
bid.
The attempt to sell off Infowars’ assets has moved to a Texas state
court in Austin. Jones is now appealing a recent order from the
court that appointed a receiver to liquidate the assets. Some of
Jones’ personal property is also being sold off as part of the
bankruptcy case.
___
Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Conn., contributed
to this report.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
