The Connecticut Appellate Court on Friday upheld a $965 million verdict issued in 2022 against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The court determined there was “sufficient evidence” to support the substantial damages awarded to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victims and an FBI agent, citing the trauma caused by Jones’s repeated claims that the tragedy was a hoax.
In a unanimous opinion, the court highlighted the “traumatic threats and harassment” endured by the families, which were fueled by Jones’s propagation of falsehoods about the 2012 massacre. “Our review of the record reveals that there was sufficient evidence to support the $965,000,000 in compensatory damages awarded by the jury,” the court stated in its 62-page decision, marking it as the largest jury verdict in Connecticut’s history.
The appellate court did, however, grant Jones a $150 million reprieve. It ruled that the plaintiffs failed to present a legally viable claim under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA). The court vacated $150 million in punitive damages that were initially awarded, noting that the alleged harm stemmed from false statements rather than from issues related to advertising, marketing, or the sale of goods.
With this ruling, Jones’s financial liability now totals approximately $1.2 billion. This includes the $965 million to the Connecticut families and nearly $50 million awarded by a Texas jury to the parents of another Sandy Hook victim. Jones repeatedly told his followers that the massacre, which claimed the lives of 20 first graders and six educators, was staged by “crisis actors” as part of a plot to implement stricter gun control measures.
The appellate court also upheld the trial court’s decision to find Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems LLC, liable for damages by default. This was due to their failure to comply with court orders requiring the sharing of evidence.
The verdict and subsequent rulings underscore the legal consequences for propagating harmful misinformation. For the Sandy Hook families, this decision represents a significant moment of accountability for the emotional toll inflicted by years of harassment and threats inspired by Jones’s unfounded claims.