US conspiracy narrator Alex Jones has been fined an additional $45.2 million for his false claims about the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre. He is now said to have paid a total of more than $49 million in compensation to a victim’s parents. This was unanimously reported by several US media from the courtroom in Texas.
Jones was sentenced to more than $4 million in damages on Thursday. The second verdict is what is known as punitive damages, which is also intended as a deterrent in the US legal system and is often significantly higher than the actual damages paid.
Jones has previously alleged that a Connecticut elementary school shooting was staged using actors. A 20-year-old shot dead 20 school children and six teachers in Newtown in December 2012. The parents of a six-year-old boy killed in the attack had sued the right-wing radio host over his claims.
Scarlett Lewis, the mother of a six-year-old victim of the Sandy Hook school shooting, with her lawyer and supporters after the million-euro fine was announced.
(Photo: Briana Sanchez/REUTERS)
During the trial, they described the emotional suffering caused by the lies of Jones, who is now 48 years old. They demanded $150 million in compensation. The conspiracy narrator’s attorney argued that the plaintiffs could not prove that his client’s words actually caused harm.
Jones has a history of promoting various conspiracy theories, including the storming of the Capitol and the 9/11 attacks.