Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. A Texas court just slashed a $50 million judgment against Alex Jones, the Infowars founder, to a mere $6 million. I mean, that’s still a pretty penny, but it’s a far cry from the original amount. The court cited state laws that limit lawsuit damages, which is just a fancy way of saying they didn’t want to break the bank. Jones was found liable for defaming and causing emotional distress to the families of the Sandy Hook victims, and let me tell you, he’s been on a wild ride ever since.
The ruling doesn’t affect the separate $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut, so he’s still got a lot of financial woes ahead of him. And bless their hearts, the Sandy Hook families are still waiting to collect any money from Jones, who’s been waging a lengthy appeal in state and bankruptcy courts. He’s even gone so far as to claim that the lawsuit is an attack on his First Amendment rights, which is rich coming from a guy who’s been peddling conspiracy theories for years.
You can’t make this stuff up, folks. Jones has been forced into bankruptcy, and his company, Free Speech Systems, is facing liquidation. He’s even had to put up some of his personal property for auction, which is just a nice way of saying he’s selling off his toys to pay his debts. And to think, it all started with his claims that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. I mean, who does that?
The court’s decision to slash the judgment has been met with mixed reactions, with some saying it’s a victory for free speech and others claiming it’s a slap in the face to the Sandy Hook families. Mark Bankston, an attorney for the families, called the ruling “irrelevant” and said that Jones still faces massive financial judgments in Connecticut. Well, I suppose that’s one way to look at it.
Meanwhile, The Onion has stepped in to mock Jones, setting up a parody Infowars webpage and running videos that poke fun at his conspiracy theories. I mean, if you can’t laugh at yourself, right? The satirical outlet even won a bankruptcy court auction of Infowars’ assets, but a federal judge overturned the results, citing problems with the process. It’s all just a big mess, folks.
In the end, it’s hard to feel sorry for Jones, who’s brought all this on himself with his outlandish claims and conspiracy theories. The Sandy Hook families deserve justice, and if that means Jones has to pay up, then so be it. As for Jones, well, let’s just say he’s learning the hard way that you can’t just make up stuff and expect to get away with it. And that’s the way the cookie crumbles, folks.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
