A Texas jury ordered Infowars host Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to two parents of a victim in the Sandy Hook massacre in addition to the $4.1 million he was ordered to pay previously on Thursday.
The verdict was unanimous.
In the closing argument from the parents’ attorney Wesley Todd Ball on Friday, he called on the jury to deter Jones from continuing to smear victims of violence.
“We ask that you send a very very simple message, and that is, stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies. Please,” said Ball.
“Deter Alex Jones from ever doing this awfulness again” and “to deter others who may want to step into his shoes,” he added.
Jones’ attorney argued that the jury should award the two parents something closer to about a quarter million dollars. He came upon the sum by multiplying Jones’ earning rate of about $14,000 per hour and the time that he spent talking about Sandy Hook, about 18 hours.
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The plaintiffs were asking for $150 million, but the judge in the case still has the power to lower the amount of the punitive damages the jury recommended.
Among the most astounding moments of the trial was when Jones was informed during cross examination that his attorney had accidentally sent the contents of his cellphone to the Sandy Hook legal team.
That attorney said at the trial that he had been contacted by the House Select Committee investigating the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 because they were seeking to obtain the information from Jones’ cellphone. Jones was one of the main organizers of the protests at the Capitol before some went on to attack the Congress building.
There are two other defamation cases left against Jones related to his comments about the Sandy Hook massacre.
