InfoWars host Alex Jones received a punitive damage verdict of $45.2 million from a jury in Austin, Texas, on Friday, a day after he was ordered to pay over $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a victim of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.
The punitive damages, agreed on by all 12 jurors, were broken down into three parts: $4.2 million for defaming Neil Heslin in two reports that questioned his account of holding his dead son, $20.5 million to Heslin for mental anguish, and $20.5 million to Scarlett Lewis for mental anguish, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
The $45.2 million total is in addition to the $4.1 million in compensatory damages he must pay to Heslin and Lewis. While the compensatory payments will be made to the parents, the punitive damages are intended to serve as a form of punishment for Jones.
FOUR OFFICERS CHARGED IN CONNECTION TO BREONNA TAYLOR’S DEATH
The InfoWars host was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read, and he still faces lawsuits from other Sandy Hook parents.
Jones was sued by the parents after the radio host and conspiracy theorist said the Sandy Hook massacre, the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, was “completely fake” and a “giant hoax” during a 2017 radio show. On Wednesday, he conceded that he believes the shooting was “100% real” and that it was irresponsible to declare the shooting a hoax.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In April, InfoWars, IWHealth, and Prison Planet TV, all owned by Jones, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. InfoWars claimed in the filing that it has assets of $0 to $50,000 and liabilities of $1,000,001 to $10 million.
