Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook defamation trial is finally beginning today after months of delays.
The parents of two Sandy Hook Elementary School families have taken the Infowars radio host to court after he falsely claimed that the school shooting - where 20 children between six and seven years old and six staff members were killed - was a hoax.
The trial in Austin, Texas, where the far-right conspiracy theorist lives and broadcasts his radio show, is set to start this week after hold-ups to the trial schedule.
Previously, Jones garnered fines for ignoring court orders and has even been reported to put Infowars into bankruptcy protection prior to the trial’s original start date in April.
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This particular trial marks just one of the defamation cases for other families of the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut against Jones.
In Connecticut and Texas, judges issued default judgements against Jones without a trial as he failed to respond to court orders and provide documents.
The lawsuits did not request that jurors awarded the families a specific amount from Jones.
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In total, the families of eight of the victims and an FBI agent who responded to the shooting have sued Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.
During a deposition in April, Jones tried to explain that he did not feel ‘responsible’ for the suffering that Sandy Hook parents claimed to have endured due to the hoax conspiracy, which included death threats and harassment from Jones’ followers.
Jones said in transcripts which were made public earlier this month: “No, I don’t [accept] responsibility because I wasn’t trying to cause pain and suffering.”
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He continued: “They are being used and their children who can’t be brought back [are] being used to destroy the First Amendment.”
Last year, Jones also claimed in court records that he had a negative net worth of $20 million, whilst the legal team for the Sandy Hook families has described a different financial situation for the presenter.
Court records showed that Jones’ Infowars store, where he sells nutritional supplements and survival gear, has made more than $165 million between 2015 and 2018.
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Jones has also urged listeners on his Infowars programme to donate money to his platform.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Gabriella Ferlita