The parents of a child killed in the school shooting say they were harassed because of Alex Jones’ allegations.
The founder of a website spreading conspiracy theories has been ordered to pay $4.1 million in damages after claiming the 2012 school attack was a concocted hoax by the US government.
The parents of one of the victims of the attack sued Alex Jones, the founder of the Infowars website, demanding US$150 million (R$780 million) for defamation.
They said they suffered harassment and emotional pain because of the misinformation spread by Jones, a broadcaster.
In 2012, 20 children and six adults were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
A jury in the city of Austin, Texas, where the trial took place, decided on damages Thursday (4/8) and will decide other sentences against Jones.
Jones, who was not in court when the outcome was announced, repeatedly argued that the massacre was a scam by the government to strip Americans of their gun ownership rights, and that the parents of the deceased children were “actors”.
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He had already lost a series of defamation lawsuits filed in absentia by the families of other victims, after failing to present documents and evidence. But this is the first time financial damages have been decided by a jury.
The lawsuit was filed by Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, the parents of six-year-old Jesse Lewis, who died in the school massacre.
Ahead of Thursday’s verdict, the couple’s lawyer revealed that Jones’ defense team accidentally sent him a series of text messages over two years from his client’s phone.
A US Congressional investigation into last year’s US Capitol raid requested access to the messages, the attorney said. According to the committee, Jones helped organize a rally that took place shortly before the invasion.
Although Jones retracted his allegations regarding the Sandy Hook massacre, he continued to use the website to attack jurors and the judge in the case.
Image: REUTERS
Jones also claimed that his companies went bankrupt despite evidence that they were making about $800,000 a day selling dietary supplements, weapons and survival equipment.
During the tense two-week trial, Jones treated the case as an attack on the rights to free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
“Expression is free, but lies must be paid,” the family’s lawyers replied in their opening remarks.
Jones admitted Wednesday that Sandy Hook’s attack was “100% real” and apologized for “hurting these people’s feelings”.
In her statement, the victim’s mother told Jones in court, “Jesse was real… I’m a real mom.”
He went on to say that “it was unthinkable for me that we had to do this.”
“We have to beg you – not just beg, but punish you – to stop lying. What’s going on here is surreal.”
The father added that Jones’ lies “damaged his honor and legacy” and that he had faced “hell” for nearly 10 years since the attack.
According to the parents’ lawyers, they had to hire private security for the trial for fear that Jones’ followers might try to attack them.
Image: REUTERS
A forensic psychiatrist said the parents suffered from “complex post-traumatic stress disorder” similar to those experienced by war veterans or child abuse victims.
The parents’ lawyers accused Jones of trying to withhold evidence and argued that he had perjured himself by refusing to send messages about the Sandy Hook attack.
Free Speech Systems LLC, which includes Jones’ Infowars, filed for bankruptcy last week. The Infowars channel was banned by YouTube, Spotify and Twitter for hate speech, but continues to operate online.
Other conspiracies supported by Jones include that the US government has created floods and tornadoes as “climate weapons” and that chemicals in drinking water make frogs gay.
Lawyer Mark Banston, who represents the parents in the case, told reporters outside the courthouse on Thursday that his clients were not disappointed with the amount awarded by the jury.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62433907.
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source: Noticias
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