Alex Jones trial - live: Jury begins deliberating in Infowars host’s second Sandy Hook hoax case
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Your support makes all the difference.The jury has finished its first full day of deliberation in Alex Jones’ second defamation damages trial over his lies about the Sandy Hook massacre.
Jurors convened to weigh the case on Friday after closing arguments the day before, where attorneys for the families of the Sandy Hook victims urged them to consider the enormous profits Jones had made from spreading conspiracy theories about the mass shooting when determining how much he should pay in damages.
“Every single one of these families were drowning in grief, and Alex Jones put his foot right on top of them,” attorney Christopher Mattei said.
Visitor numbers to Jones’ Infowars website spiked by more than 40 per cent after the December 2012 tragedy, Mr Mattei said.
He suggested a damages award of at least $550m, as Jones and Infowars had received an estimated 550 million views from their Sandy Hook hoax content on social media accounts from 2012 to 2018.
Meanwhile, Jones’ attorney Norm Pattis asked jurors to return a more measured verdict to help restore his client’s faith in “the system”.
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Sandy Hook father fights tears as he recalls press briefing that made him top target in Alex Jones’s hoax lies
Jury question read in court
Both parties have returned to the court for the judge to read a new jury question.
Jurors asked whether there is a video clip in evidence showing a profile photo of David Wheeler (father of a Sandy Hook victim) and William Aldenberg (the former FBI agent among the plaintiffs).
The plaintiffs’ lawyers said they are not aware of such a clip - which would presumably be from an Infowars broadcast.
After a back and forth, the judge called the jury in to ask for clarification on the question.
Why didn’t Jones testify for his defence?
In an unexpected move this week, the defence decided not to call any witnesses because the sole one planned - Jones himself - chose not to take the stand.
Jones did testify earlier in the trial as a witness for the plaintiffs - but it didn’t go very well.
Before his lawyer confirmed he would not testify, Jones addressed reporters outside the Connecticut courthouse and said he was considering pleading the fifth because he feared the judge would jail him for “telling the truth”.
The Independent’s Bevan Hurley explains:
Alex Jones’ attorney says he will not testify again in Sandy Hook trial
The Infowars conspiracy theorist decided against taking the stand in his second defamation trial, this time in Connecticut, for spreading hoax lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting
Court adjourned until Tuesday
Jurors have concluded their first full day of deliberation.
They will return to the court on Tuesday at 9.30am.
EXPLAINED: How deliberation works
As deliberations began, the Associated Press put together a list of key questions and answers about the process:
COULD THE JURY DECIDE THAT WHAT JONES DID IS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT?
No. A judge has already ruled that Jones is liable for defamation, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and violating Connecticut’s unfair trade practices law. The jury’s job is to decide how much he owes for harming the people who sued him over his lies.
HOW MUCH COULD JONES PAY?
Jones, who lives in Austin, Texas, could be ordered to pay as little as $1 to each plaintiff or potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to them. The decision will be based on whether the jury determines the harm to the families was minimal or extensive.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the jury should award the plaintiffs at least $550 million. Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, says any damages awarded should be minimal.
HOW DOES THE JURY COME UP WITH THE DOLLAR FIGURES?
In her instructions to the jury, Judge Barbara Bellis said there are no mathematical formulas for determining dollar amounts. Jurors, she said, should use their life experiences and common sense to award damages that are “fair, just and reasonable.”
The jury, however, heard evidence and testimony that Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, made millions of dollars from selling nutritional supplements, survival gear and other items. A company representative testified it has made at least $100 million in the past decade.
WHAT KIND OF DAMAGES ARE THE JURY CONSIDERING?
Jurors could award both compensatory and punitive damages.
Compensatory damages are often meant to reimburse people for actual costs such as medical bills and income loss, but they also include compensation for emotional distress that can reach into the millions of dollars.
Punitive damages are meant to punish a person for their conduct. If the jury decides Jones should pay punitive damages, the judge would determine the amount.
DOES CONNECTICUT CAP DAMAGES?
No, and yes. The state does not limit compensatory damages, while punitive damages are limited in many cases to attorney’s fees and costs. So if the jury says Jones should pay punitive damages, he would potentially have to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Sandy Hook families’ lawyers’ costs.
WATCH: Jones’ lawyer compares him to epic authors
ICYMI: Families testify of confrontations with Sandy Hook deniers
Families of Sandy Hook victims testified of being harassed by Alex Jones supporters during his second defamation trial in Connecticut.
“I got sent pictures of dead kids, because I was told that as a crisis actor, I didn’t really know what a dead kid looked like, so this is what it should look like,” said Nicole Hockley, who lost her 6-year-old son Dylan in the mass shooting.
Read more of the heart-wrenching testimony:
Families testify of confrontations with Sandy Hook deniers at Alex Jones trial
A mother who lost one of her sons in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre testified Tuesday that her biggest fear is that people who believe the shooting was a hoax will harm her other son, who survived the attack at his school.
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