Judge scolds Alex Jones at Sandy Hook defamation trial: 'This is not your show'
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones took the stand in his own defense for the first time at his defamation trial in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, telling the parents of Jesse Lewis, one of the 20 children killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that he never meant to harm them by falsely claiming the massacre was a hoax — and insisting he was only interested in the truth.
"I question every big event," Jones said, explaining that he and his Infowars guests simply "debate" controversial news topics, including mass shootings like Sandy Hook and terror attacks like 9/11, and that he is merely a "pundit."
Jones began by addressing Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, Jesse's parents, who testified earlier Tuesday.
During her testimony, Lewis addressed Jones directly.
"Jesse was real," Lewis said. "I am a real mom."
"I believe Scarlett Lewis is real," Jones said shortly after taking the stand. "I believe her son died."
Alex Jones at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday
He tried to apologize to the parents while on the witness stand but was told by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble that he could only answer the questions he was asked.
Heslin and Lewis are suing Jones and his media company Free Speech Systems for $150 million for the harassment they've received as a result of the false conspiracy theory spread by Jones and his guests on Infowars, a far-right website that hosts talk shows and other content.
Their lawyer said Monday that the parents have gone into isolation with an around-the-clock security detail after an unspecified number of "encounters" while they've been in Texas for the two-week trial.
Jones claimed that the attack that killed their son, 19 other children and six educators on Dec. 14, 2012, was staged — and that the parents of the slain children were so-called crisis actors employed by the “deep state.”
Lewis said that she believes Jones knows she is not actually a deep-state actor.
"I know you know that. That's the problem, I know you know that," she said, addressing Jones. "But you keep saying it. Why? Why? For money?"
Scarlett
Lewis, mother of 6-year-old Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, at
Alex Jones's defamation trial on Tuesday
Jones has claimed in court that he has a negative net worth of $20 million, though lawyers for the plaintiffs vehemently dispute that claim. Last week Free Speech Systems filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection.
Jones has already been found liable for defamation by Gamble, who issued a rare default judgment against him in 2021.
The defamation suit in Texas, where Infowars is based, is one of several brought by families of victims who say they were harassed by Jones's followers as a result of his false claims.
Jones coughed repeatedly throughout his testimony. He said he has been suffering from a torn larynx that he developed while hosting his daily Infowars show. Jones has continued to host the show throughout the trial.
On Tuesday, while Heslin was in court testifying about the killing of his son, Jones was on the air tossing out a new baseless claim.
"I think Heslin acts like somebody on the spectrum," Jones said. "He is being manipulated by some very bad people."
Neil Heslin, father of Jesse Lewis, pauses during his testimony Tuesday
Jones was called as the first and only witness in his defense. He will return to the stand Wednesday to complete his testimony.
After the jury was released for the day, Gamble scolded Jones for "abusing my tolerance and making asides to the jury."
"This is not your show," Gamble said. "You're under oath. That means things must actually be true when you say them."
"I believed them to be true," Jones said.
"You believe everything is true," Gamble replied.
After court was adjourned, Lewis approached Jones to offer him water for his cough. Jones offered her an apology, and then shook hands with both parents. One of their lawyers then asked if Jones would also apologize for suggesting Haslin was autistic. A brief discussion ensued, and the parties were separated.
"I think I'm autistic too, buddy," Jones said as Heslin was walking away.
________________
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones admits Sandy Hook massacre was '100% real'
Also admits that it was ‘irresponsible’ to declare it a hoax
Bloomberg Law
August 3, 2022
Alex Jones conceded Wednesday in a Travis County, Texas, court that the murder of 20 schoolchildren and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, was “100% real.”
The InfoWars radio and web host admitted that it was irresponsible of him to declare that the school shooting was a hoax. The admission came while on the witness stand during his second day providing testimony in a post-default judgment trial that will determine how much he must pay for spreading falsehoods that the massacre didn’t occur.
Asked by his lawyer, Andino Reynal, if it was irresponsible to broadcast to his audience that the shooting never happened, Jones replied, “It was,” he said pausing for a breath, “especially since I’ve met the parents. It’s 100% real.”
Jones’ perpetuation of his claims the killing carried out by 20-year-old shooter Adam Lanza was fake and featured staged actors, endeared him to conspiracy theorists and hardline gun owner rights advocates while getting him banned from Twitter, curbed by Spotify, and besieged by defamation lawsuits filed by victims’ familes. Companies tied to Jones and InfoWars filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
The Travis County defamation case was brought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of six-year old Jesse Lewis who died in the school shooting. The parents are seeking a $150 million award in damages for defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Notwithstanding that concession, Jones still faced questions about his honesty. During cross-examination, parents’ attorney Mark Bankston said Jones hadn’t complied with discovery and that the defense team had accidentally sent him a record of his previously demanded text messages from the past two years only 12 days ago.
“That’s how I know you lied to me,” said Bankston, who claimed Jones had said he had no Sandy Hook texts on his phone.
“If I was mistaken, I was mistaken because you’ve got the messages right there,” Jones said. “I’m not a tech guy. " When asked by Bankston if he knew what perjury was, Jones replied that he didn’t lie.
‘He Was Real’
Kyle Farrar, giving closing arguments for the parents on Wednesday asked jurors, “What does it cost to steal the last memory of Jesse for the pursuit of selling more products?”
“This verdict will tell the world that Jesse lived, that he was real, that he mattered. What does it take to fix what he broke?” Farrar said.
Reynal, in his closing, moved to blame the “mainstream media for descending on Sandy Hook like vultures,” and making reporting mistakes he said fed into a “conspiracy narrative.”
“I understand that there may be some of you who believe Alex Jones needs to be punished,” the defense attorney said. “But today I am going to talk to you about actual damages,” He told jurors that they must ascertain how Jones’ words and actions caused actual damages.
Harassment Claims
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the 459th District Court in Travis County presided over the case.
This suit is one of several brought by parents who allege that Jones’ false statements about the shooting have resulted in harassment from his followers.
On Tuesday, Jones was reprimanded by the judge for potentially violating his oath by stating he was bankrupt and that he complied with discovery.
InfoWar’s ultimate parent, Free Speech Systems, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. Lawyers for the families said in a hearing Monday they had concerns that the structure and timing of the move were designed to insulate the company from paying a judgment.
No comments:
Post a Comment