Falsely Accused Parkland School Shooter Sues Alex Jones' InfoWars for Defamation

[DonViejo]

Marcel Fontaine was falsely declared a suspect in the Stoneman Douglas school shooting by conspiracy theorist website InfoWars. He’s now suing Alex Jones for more than $1 million.

BETSY WOODRUFF
04.02.18 2:44 PM ET

Marcel Fontaine, who was falsely declared a suspect in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by conspiracy-theorist website InfoWars, is now suing Alex Jones for more than a million dollars.

Fontaine, a young man from Massachusetts, filed suit in the district court of Travis County, Texas on Monday against InfoWars head Alex Jones; InfoWars reporter Kit Daniels; InfoWars LLC; and Free Speech Systems, LLC, InfoWars’ parent company. The suit charges that InfoWars “irreparably tainted” his reputation in a report that falsely claimed he was suspected as the Stoneman Douglas shooter.

Daniels’ story about the shooting, published Feb. 14, included a picture of Fontaine.
“And another alleged photo of the suspect shows communist garb,” Daniels wrote, above the picture of Fontaine.

The picture showed Fontaine wearing a novelty T-shirt that said “Communist Party,” with communists drinking and carousing (including Karl Marx with a lampshade on his head).

“Shooter is a commie,” InfoWars blared.

more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/falsely-accused-parkland-school-shooter-sues-alex-jones-infowars-for-defamation?ref=home

[antifash]

1. Hmmm

You know, I wish the guy all the luck in the world, but isn't suing infowars for misstating a fact about the same as trying to sue The Onion for misstating the facts?

[pnwmom]

4. No because Infowars isn't a satire site. n/t

[Hortensis]

7. Right. "Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!"

He promotes it as a news site. I think most headers are too viciously personal and politically twisted to be confused with The Onion's.

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I'd think the plaintiff has proof and a good case. Except can he show damages and is that necessary in this case?

[Ms. Toad]

8. Accusing someone of a crime, in most jurisdictions, is defamation per se

Which means damages are presumed, and it is the obligation of the defendant to prove there were no damages.

[Hortensis]

9. Thanks for the info, Ms. Toad. I'd think pinning

any person's name up as a target for the sorts who frequent Infowars and the dark places its poison spreads to would in itself be damaging.

[pnwmom]

10. Yes -- any of the looney followers might decide to target this young man.

I hope he gets a huge settlement.

[RandiFan1290]

13. You posted his picture here too. nt

[gopiscrap]

11. welcome to DU

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Let's all pull for this young man.

It will be all up to some Judge to move this case.

[Initech]

3. How does that asshole not get sued more?

He's said some pretty slanderous shit over the years. Glad he's finally getting called out on it.

[BigmanPigman]

5. EXACTLY! Why are any of the hate/propaganda radio and tv shows

still able to get away with this financially? You would think that they would have had the pants sued off of them years ago and would've been bankrupt by now.

[Initech]

6. If I were the parents of the Sandy Hook victims...

I would have sued Alex Jones and Infowars out of business years ago. Like if that happened to me, I would make them wish they didn't know who I was. Fuck that guy.

[krispos42]

12. Good.

The sooner Alex Jones is broke and irrelevant, the better.