The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Alex Jones, leaving in place a hefty $1.4 billion judgment against the Infowars host. This judgment stems from Jones’s past claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
Jones had argued that a judge wrongly held him liable for defamation without a full trial. Families of the victims, who lost their children and loved ones in the tragedy, sued Jones over his false statements. An FBI agent who responded to the scene also joined the lawsuit.
The justices made their decision without comment, and without requesting a response from the Sandy Hook families.
Jones previously filed for bankruptcy, with his lawyers suggesting that the full judgment would be impossible to collect. He also faces a separate $49 million judgment in Texas related to a similar defamation case.
In the Connecticut case, the judge issued a default ruling against Jones in 2021, citing his failure to comply with court orders and hand over evidence. A jury was then convened to determine the amount Jones would owe. The jury awarded $964 million, which the judge supplemented with an additional $473 million in punitive damages.
