Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Appeal by Alex Jones
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from Alex Jones to overturn a defamation judgment against him. What does this mean for the right-wing conspiracy theorist? Read on for all of the details of this decision.
Supreme Court Rejects Request from Alex Jones
The highest court in the land ruled on Tuesday that it will not hear an appeal to overturn the nearly $1.5 billion judgment against Jones. The controversial figure had been ordered in 2022 to pay that massive sum for his claims that the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax. Twenty students and six staff members were shot and killed in this shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Jones is being forced to sell his Infowars site to pay for the damages. He told the Supreme Court that selling his media company will cause him irreparable harm. He also argued that selling Infowars would also harm his audience of about 30 million users.
The Supreme Court did not elaborate on its decision to deny Jones' request.
Jones' legal team argued the case on the grounds of free speech, saying that their client should be granted the same protections provided by the First Amendment of the Constitution as other journalists have. Jones also argued that the monetary damages were too high. His lawyers noted that the record-breaking judgment would have a "chilling effect" on other members of the media.
An attorney representing the Sandy Hook families issued a statement applauding the court for rejecting "Jones's latest desperate attempt to avoid accountability for the harm he has caused." The attorney also said that they look forward to seeing the historic verdict enforced
What is Next for Infowars?
A bankruptcy judge rejected the attempts of The Onion to purchase the right to Infowars last year. This sale had been backed by the Sandy Hook families. However, the site could be up for sale again soon, making it possible for The Onion to close the deal.
A federal judge ruled earlier in the year that Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, be turned over to a receiver formally appointed by the courts. This receiver is now responsible for selling the company's assets. The Onion has not publicly commented on its plans after the latest ruling.
Jones has been under intense legal pressure since he began to claim that the tragic shooting was a hoax. He initially claimed that the shooting was staged and that it was a plot by the government to ban guns. Jones also made headlines when he claimed that the parents of the victims were "crisis actors," alleging that the children never existed.
Two different juries found him liable for defamation and emotional distress. The first verdict out of Connecticut caused Jones to file for bankruptcy protection in Texas. His company was put up for auction in an effort to pay the judgment.
Jones then acknowledged during the Texas court proceedings that the shooting was real. However, not one dollar has been paid to the Sandy Hook families.
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