Alex Jones Seeks New Trial After Nearly $1 Billion Sandy Hook Verdict

CNN
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Far-right talk show host Alex Jones is seeking a new trial after a Connecticut jury ruled this month that he should pay $965 million in compensatory damages to eight families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and a first responder.

After the 2012 massacre in which 26 people were killed, Jones made baseless and repeated claims that the incident was staged and that the families and first responders were « crisis actors ».

Throughout the trial, which ended this month, the plaintiffs described in harrowing terms how these lies caused relentless harassment against them and deepened the emotional agony of losing their loved ones.

In a court motion filed Friday, Jones’ attorneys argued that pretrial rulings and evidence prevented Jones from having a fair trial.

Jones’ lawyers, Norm Pattis and Kevin Smith, also argued that « the amount of compensatory damages exceeds any rational relationship to the evidence. »

The verdict « is both unfair and contrary to the weight of the evidence, » Jones’ lawyers argued.

CNN contacted attorneys for Alex Jones and an attorney for the plaintiffs but received no immediate response.

After the jury’s decision, Jones said he would appeal. He said on a broadcast after the verdict that there « is no money » to pay the huge amount the jury awarded to the plaintiffs.