ACCOUNTABLITY: Alex Jones faces judge’s escalating sanctions in Sandy Hook defamation trial
Already found guilty — by default — in the defamation suit against him, right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was held in contempt of court on March 30th for failing to show up at deposition hearings scheduled for March 23rd and 24th.
His reason? Doctor’s orders.
According to Jones, he was “too sick” to attend the hearing. What ails the megaphone-toting show host? Vertigo. And a sinus infection. So bad, that he was ordered to stay home or go to the emergency room.
The “doctor” whose orders he is under is none other than Dr. Benjamin Marble, the same doctor who appeared on InfoWars on March 21st, calling Dr. Fauci a “mass murderer” and the Covid-19 vaccine “poison”.
Judge Barbara Bellis isn’t buying it. And neither is the plaintiff. Particularly since instead of testifying, Jones filmed an episode of InfoWars from the studio, attacking the Sandy Hook families in the process.
Lawyers for the families told the Associated Press that Jones’ flimsy excuse was just a:
“Transparent and desperate attempt by Alex Jones to escape a public reckoning under oath with his deceitful, profit-driven campaign against the plaintiff and the memory of their loved ones lost at Sandy Hook.”
Two separate courts – one in Connecticut, the other in Travis County, TX – have already entered default judgments against Jones.
In November of 2021, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis accused Jones of refusing to comply with the court’s requests to turn over financial documents. And the ones that were turned over to the court, Judge Bellis described as “sanitized,” “inaccurate,” and showed a “pattern of disruptive conduct” on behalf of Jones’ legal team.
Two months prior, in Travis County, TX, District Court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble came to a similar judgment and conclusion, citing Jones’ continuing refusal to comply, despite the financial sanctions imposed. Judge Gamble wrote in her ruling:
“However, the Court has more than a sufficient record to conclude that an escalating series of judicial admonishments, monetary penalties, and non-dispositive sanctions have all been ineffective at deterring the abuse. This Court rejects lesser sanctions because they have proven ineffective when previously ordered.”
In true gaslighting fashion, Jones’ attorneys accused the families of wanting Jones to “disobey” doctor’s orders, Saying that appearing in court could exacerbate his health problems and cause undue stress on Jones.
For over 20 years, the conspiracy kook has been peddling his own brand of crazy, using the show he created in 1999 as the platform to propagate all things, unfounded, uncorroborated, and unsubstantiated. But it was Jones’ 10-year crusade of bullying, inciting, and encouraging the harassment of the families of the children killed in Sandy Hook that is finally seeing him held to account.
The contempt ruling gives Jones until April 10th to be deposed. But this time, instead of his home state of Texas — where he was going to be allowed to testify – he will have to do it in Connecticut. Until that date, fines of up to $50,000 a day will be imposed. These could be fully refundable —and the contempt charges dropped — if Jones complies by April 10th. That’s a minimum of half a million dollars if Jones waits until then.
He has told the court that he will appear by April 11th.
From the beginning, Jones used the tragedy to push conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory, calling the mass shooting that left 20 children and six staff members dead a hoax. Followers of Jones have taken him at his unsubstantiated word and have taken to social media to criticize, bully, and harass the family members of the Sandy Hook victims.
Wolfgang Halbig, a former contributor to InfoWars, was arrested for harassing family members. Leonard Pozner, the father of first-grader Noah Pozner, was sent pictures of his dead son. Pozner has had his personal information, published online. He has had to move several times and is now in hiding. Pozner is one of two families that filed the defamation case against Jones in Travis County, where Jones’ hometown of Austin, TX resides.
Prior to missing the depositions, Alex Jones did offer the families in the Connecticut suit, a settlement. Not only would they get $120,000 per plaintiff, but a “heartfelt apology”.
The offer was promptly rejected, and rightly so.
If anyone should be skeptical of the sincerity – or lack thereof – of Jones, it’s the families of the victims who for the past decade have had their lives upended and their pain compounded by Jones and his followers. Further highlighting his passive-aggressive behavior in regards to the charges against him and his true intent, Jones had this to say when his settlement offer was turned down:
“The Sandy Hook shootings are almost a decade behind us. It’s time to put this case behind us too. Most of the families affected never joined the suits, those who have are no doubt weary of it. The world is on the cusp os war and all the ambulance chasers care about is hatred.”
He then went on to play the victim, Equating the contempt charge, in light of his “illness,” to being treated worse than a death row inmate.
“Somebody on death row is allowed to go get their medical treatment and hearings and things are postponed. But I’m treated worse than somebody on death row,” Jones whimpered.
Spoken like someone who has never been held accountable…until now. With two default judgments against him — and two impending trials – that ship has sailed. Now it’s just a matter of how much he’ll be forced to pay.
And I have a feeling that when the verdict is in, vertigo will be the least of Alex Jones’ problems.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick
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