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WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Despite having been caught spreading lies that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax, a defiant Alex Jones appeared in Connecticut state court on Tuesday , declares himself innocent.
A jury in Waterbury Superior Court, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Sandy Hook, has heard evidence for a week to determine Jones must speak to the families of the eight victims and the first FBI to respond to the shooting How much the agents paid for it took the lives of 20 first-graders and 6 educators.
Jones was in court for only a few minutes, arriving around 9:30 a.m., accompanied by one of his lawyers, and repeating a statement he made on the Infowars website last week, saying the lawsuit was nothing more than a “show” trial”.
“It’s a satire of justice, this judge is a tyrant,” Jones said outside the courthouse. “This judge ordered me to say I’m guilty and say I’m a liar. None of this is true. I’m not at fault for Sandy Hook on purpose. I challenge that.”
Jones left shortly after, saying he would not testify on Tuesday.
Judge Barbara Bellis found Jones and Infowars’ parent company Free Speech Systems tacitly accepted without trial last year for what she said he repeatedly failed to turn over documents to Sandy Hook lawyers punishment.
Jones complained that he was found “guilty” without trial. In a civil trial like Connecticut, or last month in Texas, a jury awarded nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of a child killed in a shooting, no any crime.
The judge “now orders me not to say I’m not innocent, and orders me to say I didn’t profit from Sandy Hook,” Jones said Tuesday. “That’s ordering me to perjury for myself. I won’t perjury under the order of a judge.”
Jones was not allowed to make defenses arguing that he was not responsible, including the First Amendment right to say the shooting didn’t happen and to ask questions.
The plaintiffs said Jones promoted the hoax on his Infowars show, causing the families to be threatened and harassed by denial about the shooting. They said they had experienced death threats and in-person harassment, video recordings of strangers and abusive comments on social media. Some families moved out of the new town to avoid harassment.
They said that when Jones spoke about the shooting, sales of dietary supplements, clothing, food and other items he touted on the show surged. A representative for the free speech system testified last week that she believes Jones and his company have earned at least $100 million since the school shooting.
On Tuesday, the jury heard testimony from former FBI special agent and homeland security expert Clint Watts, who testified about how organizations and governments use the Internet and social media to spread misinformation and Jones’s Infowars website.
Jones portrayed the trial as a conspiracy by Democrats and the media to strip gun rights, bankrupt him and keep him silent.
Jones, who has said over the past few years that he believes the shooting did happen, has also slammed the Texas trial on his show. After being sworn in, before a jury in Austin, he said he realised the hoax lies were irresponsible and hurt people’s feelings and he was sorry for it.
Associated Press writers Michael Hill and Pat Eaton Robb contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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