Infowars host Alex Jones moves to dismiss Sandy Hook lawsuit

[Leghorn21]

Right-wing radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is
moving to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the families
of some of the 26 people killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting. http://apne.ws/TeD2EFD

Link to tweet

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Right-wing radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones argued he was acting as a journalist, comparing himself to the Washington Post reporters who uncovered the Watergate scandal, when he questioned on his talk show "Infowars" the official narrative given by officials in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.

In written arguments filed Friday, Jones moved to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the families of some of the 26 people killed in the Connecticut shooting. Jones acknowledged that he had called the shooting a hoax, but said he now believes it happened.

"Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein relied on allegations from 'Deep Throat' to link the Nixon Administration to the Watergate break-in," his lawyers wrote in filing for a dismissal. "Such journalism, questioning official narratives, would be chilled if reporters were subject to liability if they turned out to be wrong,"

.....he filed papers on Friday for dismissal...standing by for more info...

[NewJeffCT]

1. there is a difference between Deep Throat

and Deeply Crazy.

Woodward & Bernstein were also trained journalists and Deep Throat (Mark Felt), while anonymous, was a respected insider with a lot of experience in the field. Alex Jones dropped out of community college and spews BS

[Raster]

2. Criminently, now Jones is a journalist?

[Leghorn21]

9. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I'm pretty sure that during his divorce proceedings he claimed

he was an “entertainer” -

Hope he goes DOWN here

[Raster]

11. You are correct... he is just "playing a character"...

http://time.com/4743025/alex-jones-infowars-divorce-donald-trump/

InfoWars’ Alex Jones’ Twitter bio declares that he is “Fighting for Freedom & Liberty on the Frontlines of Truth Journalism,” despite his penchant for pushing baseless conspiracy theories like “Pizzagate” and the idea that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a “hoax.”

But a lawyer for Jones recently said the conspiracy theorist is merely playing a character when he speaks via his InfoWars channels. “He’s playing a character,” attorney Randall Wilhite said during a recent pretrial hearing. “He is a performance artist.”

[Leghorn21]

13. Thanks, Raster!! eom

[Volaris]

33. Then he either get a to pick one and stick with it, or the courts will get to decide that for him.

But either way I think he will screw himself into the lawsuit he won't win.

[onecaliberal]

3. Oh hell no.

[marylandblue]

4. He will not win this one

He knew he was lying at the time. The fact that he now says he believes it actually makes it worse for him. Changing your mind after someone sues you just shows that you knew the truth all along.

[mwooldri]

5. If I were the judge... Motion denied.

Let the defamation lawsuit proceed.

[Midnight Writer]

6. It's called "reckless disregard for the truth", Alex. Show us your evidence. (Interviews, documents,

You have committed actionable slander and libel and done damage to innocent victims.

You have had your "fun". Now it is time to pay for it.

[TheBlackAdder]

7. I hope the judge calls Bob Woodward to give his commentary.

[Hokie]

8. Motion to dismiss/Motion for summary judgment are SOP

These are filed by defendants in almost every civil lawsuit that makes it this far. I think any attorney would back me up on that observation. This is not unexpected and is no big deal.

[oasis]

10. Your whacko ass is gonna pay. Bigtime.

[ProudLib72]

28. Yank his broadcasting license?

[flamin lib]

12. His house is up for sale as is his broadcast corp.

I think he's trying to hide them from a settlement.

[TheBlackAdder]

14. I thought, in his divorce proceedings, that he was theatrical, not serious journalism.

[donkeypoofed]

15. I can't believe he dared to call himself a journalist!

Especially when he damn well knows he's only an "entertainer" and conspiracy theorist. Add in some crazy and you got yourself an asshole = Alex Jones. His pending lawsuit loss on this will cost him millions and untold embarrassment. Couldn't happen to a better candidate for worst human ever.

[struggle4progress]

16. Let us review Alex's defense:

Did Alex use good journalistic practices when decrying the Sandy Hook story as a hoax?
Possible defense: Alex spent many many hours researching Sandy Hook through long discussions with Crazy Chester, who assured him that the shooting was every bit as fake as the Moon landing. What more could anyone be expected to do?

Did Alex attempt to be as accurate as possible?
Possible defense: Whenever Alex breaks a big story -- such as Batboy's love child with Hillary or Obama's role in the Kennedy assassination -- he carefully double-checks his facts against multiple sources, including messages beamed to his dental fillings by the mothership and the opinions of late-night callers to talk-radio shows. No one has ever been as careful about the facts as Alex!

Did Alex solicit comments from the Sandy Hook parents who are now persecuting him?
Possible defense: Alex is always willing to talk with anyone about anything. When he first saw the Sandy Hook story on TV, Alex actually shouted at the parents on the screen that they should repeat their lies on his show. Unfortunately, they did not accept that offer. That's their fault.

Did Alex document his research?
Possible defense: Alex had many thick binders full of documentation on this subject. But, through a series of unfortunate events, it has all been lost. Some appears to have been destroyed in the Dresden fire-bombing; some was accidentally flushed down the commode; and Alex believes his dog ate the rest of it. Would it really be fair to punish him for this string of bad luck?

[Leghorn21]

17. Oh, well done, 4!!! Thanks much for this enlightening post!!

[Gothmog]

18. I seriously doubt that this motion will be successful

[Gothmog]

19. Juanita Jean's son is one of the lawyers in two of these lawsuits

Mark Bankston is a good lawyer and is one of the attorneys in the Sandy Hooks case and is also representing the young man accused of being the shooter in the Parkland case. There is a hearing on Tuesday in the Sandy Hooks case and a hearing on Wednesday of next week in the Parkland case.

[Leghorn21]

20. Thanks, Gothmog - will be following these cases closely and hoping for Jones to be feeling

some serious pain - ENOUGH with this “entertainer/journalist” filth -

[Gothmog]

22. Susan has promised to keep my up to date

[Gothmog]

21. Juanita Jean-Just a Personal Heads Up

This makes me smile http://juanitajean.com/just-a-personal-heads-up/

Some of you guys expressed interest in attending the Alex Jones hearing in Austin. Mr. Jones is contending that he has a First Amendment right to put people’s lives in danger.

Little Bubba put out the following press release:

I am writing with a news tip on an event you may be interested in covering. I am the attorney for a group of Sandy Hook parents who have sued Austin resident Alex Jones and his company InfoWars for defamation in Travis County, Texas. On August 1st, the court will hold its first hearing in the case.

The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Jones repeatedly claimed the Sandy Hook shooting was fake and that the parents were actors. The case has just begun, and Mr. Jones has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, citing his First Amendment rights. In the hearing, the judge will hear arguments on whether the case should proceed.

On the following day, August 2nd, the court will hold a hearing on a similar motion to dismiss filed by Mr. Jones in another defamation lawsuit brought my law firm, in which an innocent young man in Massachusetts was falsely identified by InfoWars as the gunman who killed 17 people at Parkland High School in Florida.

The hearings will be held at the Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas 78701. The specific courtroom will be shown on the information screens in the lobby shortly before the hearing. The hearing is open to public, but be aware that video recording requires prior notice to the court.

August 1st, 2:00 pm
Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa v. Alex Jones
Cause No. D-1-GN-18-001842

August 2nd, 2:00 pm
Marcel Fontaine v. Alex Jones
Cause No. D-1-GN-18-00160

[Leghorn21]

24. Thanks, G, I am bookmarking this but GOOD - have searched all day for Jones news, and now I see,

thanks to you, that the next hearings are next week - thank you!

Also, what a quirky/funny website, and I’m going back in now to read more comments!

[Gothmog]

25. Susan is a friend

I have known Mark since before he started law school.

[Leghorn21]

29. Oh my, well, you know ALL the right people, G!! It sure is workin for ME, because I need this guy

to end up in a world of hurt, and now I can keep track of these hearings thanks to you -

Don’t know if you caught it, but Jones went on a rant last April about Rep. Adam Schiff. I was so pissed off, my face burned...I ended up calling the FBI in Austin and told them about this. Did anything happen? Very doubtful.

Here’s his rant (sorry to subject you to this):

I’m not against gay people,” Jones says in the video. “I love them. They’re great folks. But Schiff looks like the archetypal c---sucker with those little deer-in-the-headlight eyes and all his stuff. And there’s something about this fairy, hopping around, bossing everybody around, trying to intimidate people like me and you.

“I want to tell Congressman Schiff and all the rest of them, Hey listen asshole … listen you son of a bitch, what the f--- is your problem? You want to sit here and say that I’m a goddamn f---ing Russian. You get in my face with that I’ll beat your goddamn ass, you son of a bitch. You piece of shit. You f---ing goddamn f---er. Listen f--- head, you have f---ing crossed a line. Get that through your goddamn f---ing head. Stop pushing your shit. You’re the people that have f---ed this country over and gang-raped the shit out of it and lost an election. So stop shooting your mouth off claiming I’m the enemy. You got that you goddamn son of a bitch? Fill your hands. I’m sorry, but I’m done. You start calling me a foreign agent, those are f---ing fighting words.

“He’s sucking globalist d---,” Jones concludes.

So - hang tough Mark, and please remove this malignant “entertainer/journalist” from public view once and for all

And thanks again, Gothmog.

[Gothmog]

30. This is from April

[Leghorn21]

32. Thank you yet again, G - Mark is REALLY focused and articulate!! August 1 can't get here soon

enough

[Gothmog]

36. From my twitter feed

Link to tweet

[Leghorn21]

38. Many thanks, G, I will check these twitter accounts every five minutes for the rest of the

evening!!

[Gothmog]

39. Susan has promised to keep me up to date

If I hear anything, I will let you know

[Leghorn21]

40. You are too kind, G!! -

Oh holy hell, it just sank in that he is suing these poor parents for $100,000 (I read way too fast, yet retain NOTHING)- yeah, this is too much

Many thanks again!!

[Gothmog]

41. Mark is doing well

Link to tweet

[jmowreader]

23. The defense filing to dismiss is routine for a civil suit

It rarely works, but everyone does it.

[HopeAgain]

26. Bad Faith reporting

Does not get immunity.

[shenmue]

27. Uh, he SAID IT WAS A HOAX AND THE VICTIMS WERE ACTORS

So fuck him.

[Iggo]

34. Now he's a journalist?

Last time he was an entertainer.

He needs to get his story straight.

[Gothmog]

35. Report from Alex Jones' ex wife

Juanita Jean is at the hearing but has not sent me an update.

I found this report from Alex Jones' ex wife. At the 2 minute mark, she states that Mark Bankston is doing a good job

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

37. From NYT

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

42. There is a special place in hell for Alex Jones

Link to tweet