Alex Jones - Infowars host held in contempt of court for skipping Sandy Hook deposition

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Alex Jones on his show on 12 December, 2021 (The Alex Jones Show)

The years-long legal battle between far-right conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones and the families of victims killed in the Sandy Hook massacre continued today with Mr Jones being held in contempt of court.

Mr Jones was found guilty of defamation in multiple lawsuits last year after he falsely said the 2012 school shooting that left 26 dead was “a giant hoax”. The cases are now headed to jury trials to determine damages.

The legal proceedings were thrust back into the spotlight last week when Mr Jones failed to appear twice for a deposition that he had sought to delay because he was too sick to attend — despite the fact that he continued hosting his Infowars show.

At issue in today’s virtual hearing - which took place at 2pm EST - wss the plaintiffs’ motion to hold Mr Jones in contempt of court for dodging the deposition.

Hours before the hearing, Mr Jones offered to settle the cases by giving a “heartfelt apology” and $120,000 payout per plaintiff. That offer was rejected by the families.

Judge Barbara Bellis found him in contempt today and issued a $25,000 per day fine until he sits for two days of deposition in Connecticut, upon which the fines will be refunded.

[30 March 2022 19:35 · Oliver O'Connell]

The plaintiffs’ counsel reiterates that the deposition should take place in Connecticut and says that there is no record of medical problems other than that put forward by them.

Mr Jones’ counsel outlines dates on which his client would not be able to be deposed — the first week of April, and towards the end of the month — but offers April 11.

He also asks that some allowance be given to Mr Jones regarding the strict Covid protocols at the plaintiffs’ counsel’s office.

[30 March 2022 19:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Judge Bellis reiterates that despite specific instructions to appear for depositions on March 23 and 24, Mr Jones did not comply.

There has been no evidence submitted of hospitalisation or other medical problems, but Mr Jones was able to broadcast his show from his studio.

[30 March 2022 19:46 · Oliver O'Connell]

Jones held in contempt, judge levies heavy fines

Judge Bellis says there will be no delay to the trial and that Mr Jones has willfully and with intent violated court orders.

Mr Jones is held in contempt and can only purge this by completing two days of deposition at plaintiffs’ counsel’s office Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He will be fined $25,000 per day he does not comply with deposition from April 1.

Mr Jones will not be arrested.

The judge says the plaintiffs simply want and are entitled to Mr Jones’ deposition.

She says he has intentionally defied and manipulated court orders.

[30 March 2022 19:53 · Oliver O'Connell]

Alex Jones statement in full

Alex Jones released a statement today ahead of the contempt of court hearing:

For more than a year, we have been trying to settle the litigation in private communications with counsel for the Sandy Hook plaintiffs. We have had no meaningful response from the plaintiffs, other than a suggestion that their real aim is to put Infowars out of business.

Commentary on the shootings at Sandy Hook was a minuscule part of our programming in years past. To the degree we discuss it now, the discussion is generated by responding to the lawsuits filed against us.

Yesterday in Connecticut we filed court documents indicating our willingness to settle the claims, and restating our apology for any offense our commentary caused the families. Within hours of making this filing, lawyers for the families filed a rejection of the claim suggesting that the timing of the offer was driven by fear and shame. We also wrote privately to counsel for Sandy Hook plaintiffs in Texas.

Our desire to settle is genuine and longstanding, and the lawyers involved know it. Mr. Jones has already sat for three depositions in these cases; he’s provided responses to written requests under oath; he has provided tens of thousands of documents. In response, the plaintiffs have claimed he has not done enough, and have obtained defaults; they now seek his arrest.

We are not going to be driven out of business by ambitious lawyers or those who hate dissent.

We would like to resolve these cases and stop wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees. If the plaintiffs’ lawyers don’t want that because they crave playing the role of hero to mainstream media, let’s at least be honest about what is going on here. This case is becoming less about Sandy Hook than it is about the right to speak freely.

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 of war and all the ambulance chasers care about is hatred.

Our offer to settle these cases remains open, as it has been for the past year.

[30 March 2022 19:56 · Oliver O'Connell]

Alex Jones held in contempt of court for dodging Sandy Hook deposition

Alex Jones will be held in contempt of court after he twice skipped a deposition in his legal battle with the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre.

Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis moved to sanction Mr Jones at a hearing on Wednesday.

Megan Sheets reports.

[30 March 2022 20:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

How did we get here?

Two days before he was set to testify under oath last week on 23 March, Mr Jones’ lawyers made a last-ditch attempt to delay by claiming he was too sick to attend due to unnamed “medical conditions” and that doctors had advised him to remain at home.

Judge Bellis turned down the requests, in part because he was seemingly well enough to continue broadcasting his hours-long show - leaving his home on at least one occasion to travel to his studio to film it.

He subsequently defied court orders by failing to show up for the original deposition and a rescheduled one, prompting attorneys for the Sandy Hook victims’ families to ask the judge to find him in contempt and have him arrested.

[30 March 2022 20:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Jones offered families a payout on Tuesday ahead of hearing

Hours before Wednesday’s hearing on the contempt motion, Mr Jones extended an offer to settle the defamation lawsuits with a “heartfelt apology” and a $120,000 payout to each plaintiff.

Lawyers for the families quickly shut down the offer, telling the Associated Press on Tuesday the settlement was a “transparent and desperate attempt by Alex Jones to escape a public reckoning under oath with his deceitful, profit-driven campaign against the plaintiffs and the memory of their loved ones lost at Sandy Hook.”

[30 March 2022 21:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘Ambulance chasers'

Mr Jones responded to the rejection of his offer by the families in a lengthy statement on Wednesday, which read in part:

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 of war and all the ambulance chasers care about is hatred.

[30 March 2022 21:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

About those health concerns

Echoing arguments made in court filings, Alex Jones’ lawyer Cameron Atkinson asserted that his client was justified in missing the depositions because of health concerns put forward by two doctors who advised him to remain at home or go to the emergency room.

Mr Atkinson also said that issuing a warrant for Mr Jones’ arrest could exacerbate his health problems.

“Mr Jones recognises that the plaintiffs have a right to take his deposition,” he said. “He sat for three, by my account, in cases related to the Sandy Hook litigation in Texas.

“What has occurred here is he has ultimately listened to his doctor’s advice. First, initially, and today, there was an uncontroverted record before this court, and there still is, that Mr Jones’s doctors thought his conditions were serious enough to require emergency medical care, and they rendered precautionary advice that included a recommendation that he go to the emergency room immediately.”

Judge Barbara Bellis took issue with Mr Atkinson’s use of the word “uncontroverted” — reminding him that it is up to the court to determine the validity of the evidence presented by the defence. She noted that she had deemed the evidence of his ailments to be insufficient to warrant a delay prior to the first deposition — and that Mr Jones’ legal team did not submit any evidence of his condition worsening after her denial.

The judge also noted that Mr Jones hosted his Infowars show from the studio on Friday, the day after he willfully missed the second scheduled deposition.

In their response to the plaintiffs’ contempt motion on Monday, Mr Jones’ lawyers argued that sitting for the deposition would cause him “significant stress” and accused the plaintiffs of “blatantly” asking the judge to overrule his doctors.

“Here, the plaintiffs have blatantly asked the court to substitute its judgment for that of Mr. Jones’ doctors,” a defence filing stated. “They have publicly made a pseudo-macho challenge as to Mr Jones’ courage in the media that has sullied this litigation, publicly accusing him of cowardice for ultimately listening to his doctors.”

At Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Bellis pointed out that the defence’s original motions to delay made no mention of a deposition worsening his condition.

[30 March 2022 21:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Jones claimed he is treated worse than a death row inmate

Alex Jones defended himself against the plaintiffs’ efforts to have him arrested for contempt in a pre-recorded video on his Infowars website last Thursday — the same day he said he was too unwell to attend the second deposition date.

Titled “Sandy Hook mafia calls for Alex Jones’ arrest: Legendary talk show host responds”, he claimed he was being treated worse than death row prisoners.

“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,” he said.