There is an update on the Alex jones trial that we've been looking at for about
a week or two now, all the devastating things that he's been going through.
They finally figured a number to add to those first that they've got for
the parents of one of those murdered Children from Sandy Hook elementary in
2012.
So let's get to those details as the texas grand jury on friday, they decided that
the conspiracy theorist, Alex jones must pay the parents of a child killed in
the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting $45.2 million in punitive damages.
Now that number comes one day after rendering a $4 million dollar award for
compensatory damages as well.
The jury announced both awards.
That's after several dramatic days in court.
That included testimony that Mr Jones and free speech systems,
the parent company of his misinformation peddling media outlet info
Wars were worth between one and $35 million $270 million.
So because they gave those numbers,
that's one of the reasons why they're trying to determine exactly how much they
should maybe award these parents because that was a foregone conclusion already.
It was just the numbers that we were looking for then.
So more on this because Wesley Todd ball, who's a lawyer for the plaintiffs,
he pleaded with the jury saying this before they gave their decision.
We ask that you send a very very simple message.
That is this stop Alex jones?
Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies please.
Mr Jones's lawyer, Frederick Frederick.
An indo Raynal asked the jury toward $270,000 though in punitive damages.
He urged them to look at the facts and the law and to quote,
think about what justice really means.
I think they were thinking about that.
He never reminded, he also, excuse me,
reminded the jurors that all 12 of them had to agree on a punitive damage.
Never give up, never surrender your own firmly held voice is what he said and
they camp with the number that they then came up.
This is the explanation as to why they can put that extra 45.2 competitive
damages are designed as a deterrent and as punishment of Mr jones for
defending Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of jesse Lewis, the six year
old little boy that was killed along with 19 other first graders and six educators.
Again at Sandy Hook elementary.
The compensatory damages awarded thursday were meant to compensate the family for
actual costs incurred as a result of Mr jones defamatory claims, but
this isn't it?
You guys thought the legal war was for Alex jones were gonna come because his
cell phone records and text messages were given over as we heard a couple
of days ago were given over to the, to the plaintiff's side, But also there's more,
as far as potential monetary damages come here because this week's trial was
the first of three to determine how much Mr Jones owes the families for
the suffering he has caused.
As I mentioned, it was 19 other Children and also six educators jurors deliberated
for about four hours before reaching Friday's verdict.
Now, as you guys know, I'm open up to you guys, as you guys know he's been fighting
this whole thing first off saying he didn't make enough money and
then every day between each other of these of these days of hearings and
everyone was watching, he'd go back on the show and bash the judge, bash the jury,
bash the parents even again, and that's the same story he's been playing for
this entire time.
>> Certainly like this is thankful an opportunity in american society where you
see a little bit of an aspect of justice because if he wasn't given these punitive
damages, if he was allowed to continue to spew this all these lies on air,
then who's to stop the next Alex jones, who's to stop the next person do this.
That's what I'm always thinking about,
especially in the context of things like the january six hearings.
I love all the different ways that Alex jones has tried to hide the fact
of like how much money info wars and its associated companies has made.
He's done all these different bankruptcy schemes that like the political economist
and he just loves digging into about like,
he's trying to say this company isn't worth as much as it actually is,
completely absurd Alex jones deserves honestly to pay more for all of the harm
and pain and suffering he's caused to these Children all the misinformation
you spread about shootings writ large saying it's a false flag and
hopefully this teaches them not to do it again, being humiliated in court,
being humiliated by the judge, but who's to see with these kind of characters?
>> What are your thoughts?
>> Yeah, I think that's a good point.
Of course this is a huge victory for truth and justice and
I really do think it is going to stop a lot of people who might have been
interested in this sort of fearmongering, lie based media route.
However you do really have to wonder how much this will change Alex jones's tune.
Exactly bret sort of alluded to this in the earlier hour, but
like we live in such a crazy media ecosystem where the incentives are just so
twisted and like figures like Alex jones and companies like info wars often
factor these types of lawsuits into their business models now, of course,
I think like $45 million in damages with more to come is extreme and
hopefully that will have a huge dent in their business model, but
you know, they make something like $800,000 a day and
you just have to wonder how much that he has he has planned for
this exact situation Jr you mentioned how like every day he's going on
his show after court and just like railing about the whole situation.
So I'm a little hard pressed to think this is the last we'll see of Alex jones.
I'm more optimistic that this will stop people
rising up through this exact business model, but you never know.
I don't know if someone like jones doesn't just like take the l I'm afraid so.
I mean, honestly, a little cynical.
>> Yeah, when you talk about Alex jones potentially doing it more rather not,
it's the end of him, but in reality, you have to wonder if there's gonna be
the next Alex jones who's thinking and I didn't realize the part as far as building
into that, that structure the economic structure of their business.
Hey, let's go ahead and allocate certain amounts of funds.
I guess it's like a defamatory insurance policy off on the side to make sure that
you you can cover these costs in case someone comes to you and all the lies
you're telling because as long as they're making some kind of money and
maybe we won't get caught or maybe we can figure a new way to do it.
That doesn't make us look as bad as Alex jones made himself look,
he's just too brazen, it's almost like the donald trump effect.
He pulls all these things, but he's just a little bit too stupid to fully do it and
pull the wool over everyone's eyes enough to finish the job.
So I mean, this is supposed to be something that's supposed to deter other
folks from doing something like this.
But when the money is looking and feeling that good, I feel like a lot of people
willing to risk it, it's almost like, you know, there's general crime deterrence,
but sometimes people get desperate and they pull these types of things off.