Alex Jones Just Lost 2 Sandy Hook Cases

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Source: Huffington Post

Infowars host Alex Jones has lost two of several lawsuits filed against him by relatives of Sandy Hook victims after he routinely failed to comply with requests to produce documents related to his involvement in spreading lies about the deadly shooting.

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble on Monday issued her ruling for default judgments against Jones in two different cases, which means he and the conspiracy-theory-spewing outlet Infowars have been found liable for all damages and a jury will now be convened to determine how much he will owe the plaintiffs. The new rulings became public Thursday.

In the filings, Gamble eviscerated Jones and reasoned that default judgments should be ordered because “an escalating series of judicial admonishments, monetary penalties, and non-dispositive sanctions have all been ineffective at deterring the abuse,” caused by Jones’ unwillingness to turn over documents related to the cases, the Texas judge ruled.

The ruling — which is often referred to in Texas as a “death penalty sanction” for a party unwilling to comply with court orders — is a rarity in the legal world. Jones, who is now on his seventh lawyer in these cases, had years to provide documentation requested by the court, including internal company emails.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alex-jones-lost-two-sandy-hook-cases_n_61561020e4b008640eb1d56a?pkq

[Ocelot II]

1. Good. Default judgments are pretty rare, but these seem more than deserved.

Alex Jones is a ghoul. I hope the court pounds him into dust.

[Locrian]

3. Alex Jones is a ghoul

*perfect* description

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. There was some serious discovery abuse including changing lawyers six or seven times

The documents that I saw did not address the pro hac vice motion for the asshole attorney who was banned in other cases From the article cited in OP

It was Jones’ continued refusal to hand over discovery documents that led to Monday’s rulings against him in a lawsuit brought on by Pozner and a separate lawsuit by parent Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse, was also killed in the shooting. Pozner, De La Rosa, and Lewis are being represented by Texas law firm Farrar & Ball, who told HuffPost that they are “not surprised by the Court’s decision.”

Jones’ most recent lawyer, Brad Reeves, told the Austin-American Statesman earlier this month that a default judgment against Jones would be a “hugely excessive” response to his discovery failures. Judge Gamble felt otherwise:

“Furthermore, in considering whether lesser remedies would be effective, this Court has also considered Defendants’ general bad faith approach to litigation, Mr. Jones’ public threats, and Mr. Jones’ professed belief that these proceedings are ‘show trials’,” the court rulings read.

Lawyer Bill Ogden with Farrar & Ball told HuffPost that Gamble’s default judgment ruling is “a bit of a myth” in the legal world.

“We learn about death penalty sanctions in law school as more of a theory, and it’s almost unheard of to have them handed down in a case like this,” Ogden said in an emailed statement. “However, the Sandy Hook cases are unique. It is extremely rare that a party (Alex Jones and Infowars) is ordered by the Court to comply with discovery, is sanctioned for failing to obey with the Court’s multiple Order(s), and then continues to blatantly disregard the Court’s authority by continuously refusing to comply.”

I watched the last 45 minutes of the hearing and the Judge was pissed at Jones

[Ocelot II]

8. Sanctions for failing to comply with discovery orders are usually non-dispositive,

so these default judgments for discovery abuse really are unusual. Mostly courts just order the noncompliant party to cough up some fees and costs along with their responses, and the show goes on. I do recall sitting in a federal courtroom years ago watching the judge hammer opposing counsel with costs and fees for failing to answer some interrogatories and requests for admission, and mentally going because it was so rare, and this was a big hotshot firm that had absolutely no excuse for not turning that stuff over.

[rsdsharp]

44. My experience is the same.

The worst I ever saw was a federal judge who imposed a $7000 penalty on a lawyer for failing to produce documents, saying they didn’t exist. They did, he had just taken the client’s word that they didn’t. The documents were ordered to be produced, and a larger financial penalty was imposed on the client, but the court also specified that the lawyer, not the client, and not his firm, was to pay his penalty.

The same judge ordered an attorney who had turned a deposition into a mockery with frivolous objections, many of which were used to signal answers to the witness, to prepare a CLE presentation on abusive discovery techniques. He was also ordered to give the presentation to his partners, and to read the sanctions order to them, first.

[Haggard Celine]

7. Well said!

I hope that jury awards those parents millions and they bleed that fucker dry. Hope they get the money from his supplement sales and everything.

[Stallion]

24. This Type of Discovery Sanctions Imposing Default Judgments are Extremely Rare

...but regular default judgments are very common

it opens up an appellate ground, after the jury trial on damages, that the trial judge abused his or her discretion-I hope facts are rock solid but an all republican Texas Supreme Court may view facts differently

Quite frankly, it might be years before the appellate courts finally dispose of the case

[Ocelot II]

28. Yes, default judgments can be entered if the other party fails to answer a complaint,

but the judgment can be vacated if they can show the court a good excuse for failing to answer. Courts will cut people a lot of slack if the non-responding party is pro se. That's not unusual. This was unusual, but they really abused the discovery process and I think the judge ran out of options.

[ZonkerHarris]

2. Take it all, and then some.

[SoCalDavidS]

5. I Bet He Doesn't Pay

He's one of those to whom laws and verdicts do not apply.

[drmeow]

9. I see a sudden

bankruptcy in his future

[Mysterian]

14. That's when uniformed government agents show up

and take it.

[WHITT]

6. Ouch

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Cue the GoFundMe in 3...2...1...

[Grokenstein]

37. Win-Win for society, either way.

He either loses his own money or channels other rightwankers' money into the bank accounts of Jones' victims. That's some "redistribution of wealth" I can get behind!

[BumRushDaShow]

39. He'll be channeling $$$ to his lawyers too

because they are going to want their cut...

[twin_ghost]

11. This will be a hollow victory for the families.

Alex Jones will file bankruptcy and then settle the lawsuits for pennies on the dollar in court.

[MissMillie]

17. What you say is absolutely true. However...

... I don't think the families are doing it for the money.

[3Hotdogs]

20. To go bankrupt, petitioner has to disclose assets and most of these willl be sacrificed to pay

creditors.


Failure to disclose assets or attempts to hide assets by giving them to your kids or your wife can lead to prison if discovered.

While the petitioner doesn't lose everything, he loses most of his assets. A company gives up even more so Infowars as a corporation may dissolve.

[Mysterian]

12. I hope he's dumpster diving soon

Nothing could happen to piece of filth Jones that would make me sad.

[Grokenstein]

38. I seem to recall Rush Limbaugh had some tips about that!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. WHO is he HIDING? eMails to who? Funders? Puppet Masters? Must be real bad if it's better to default

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Ah, HuffPo true to form, there's that failed journalist cliche again: "eviscerate". . . . . nt

[BlueIdaho]

16. Bankrupt this fucker

Because to him… it’s all about the money.

[MissMillie]

18. I was watching a CNN series on the woman in AL who sued the Klan

When they couldn't pay her, they had to fork over a bunch of their property (real estate).

That wiorks for me. I'll bet he has a nice house. He should be forced to sell it.

[BlueIdaho]

19. That happened where I live in North Idaho!

The Aryan Nations hate group had a “compound” just north of here. They had armed skinheads who patrolled the property. They shot at a woman passerby - the end result… the woman not only got the property, she got the rights to the name Aryan Nations.

This was all thanks to the Southern Poverty Law Center - in the old old days.

[reACTIONary]

34. SPLC for the WIN! nt

[WVreaper]

21. Bury the son of a bitch

Take all his money. Maybe, just maybe this will shut up some of this bullshit lying.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. The first time I watched his show, the only time, I was fooled

because he said something supportive of Hillary near the beginning. I was duped!

[NQAS]

23. Judgement?

$150 million for each loss, plus lawyers fees and court costs. To be paid immediately. Failure to pay results in his having to turn over his business assets. Every single asset until the value of $300 million is met.

That should set a reasonable benchmark for all cases going forward.

Oh. And an apology.

[Rabrrrrrr]

25. HA!! He's possibly even more of a useless turd fucker than Trump!

Burn, fucker, burn.

[bahboo]

26. bankrupt the fuck....

[NullTuples]

27. Raises the question of what would've been in the docs that was even worse...

[NurseJackie]

29. Could this bankrupt him and his filthy enterprise?

Or does he have insurance to cover such things?

[reACTIONary]

35. My guess is that if he had insurance...

... the insurance co. would be handling the defence and this would not have happened. Or they would have ducked out long ago and left him holding the bag.

[Mr. Evil]

30. I hope the jury lowers the boom on this human turd.

He had years to comply with the court orders. Nothing. Because he had nothing. It was all made up for his gullible followers. He should be made to admit that it was all made up so he could make money off it. Just another disgusting RWNJ bottom feeder.

[Ford_Prefect]

31. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving grifter.

Hopefully this becomes an endlessly repeating pattern in his future.

[gldstwmn]

32. I hope it bankrupts him.

[marble falls]

33. He'll be selling used cars and trailer houses soon enough.

[Blue Owl]

36. That suck fuck dug his own grave

Now may he spend eternity rotting in it….

[Goonch]

40. ;-{)🖖

[LetMyPeopleVote]

42. Juanita Jean is happy

Mark Bankston is her son https://juanitajean.com/?p=69916

Well, there’s an update on the Alex Jones case our Mark filed against Alex Jones on behalf of some of the Sandy Hook parents.

About three weeks ago, there was a hearing in Austin over the fact that Alex Jones has screwed around on this case and has refused to comply with court orders or produce items required under the rules of discovery. Jones is on his seventh lawyer. He waits until the night before hearings, replaces his lawyer, and then wants to reset the clock. He’s been repeatedly fined and chastised by the court.

Nothing seems to work. The first judge on the case retired and a newly elected district court judge, The Honorable Maya Guerra Gamble, put the hammer down. It’s called “the death penalty” in civil cases and is extremely rare.

Oddly enough, Jones’ lawyer promised in the hearing that he would file answers to the pending discovery issues in two weeks. He didn’t do it.

In the filings, Gamble eviscerated Jones and reasoned that default judgments should be ordered because “an escalating series of judicial admonishments, monetary penalties, and non-dispositive sanctions have all been ineffective at deterring the abuse,” caused by Jones’ unwillingness to turn over documents related to the cases, the Texas judge ruled.

[LiberalLovinLug]

45. Do cases against scum like this ever get resolved?

"Nothing seems to work" WTF?

How many years has passed now since he was first served? Why would the court have to wait for Jone's documents to move forward even? They have all the recordings of his disgusting lies. Why is it framed like the court NEEDS something from him in order to even attempt to proceed. And hopefully find him guilty? Must be nice, if he can continue to give the court the finger when they ask for docs, he will never get convicted.

No wonder assholes like Trump, and those that shill for him like Giuliani, Powell laugh at the courts, and continue on speaking tours and double down. They know they will never pay. They just have to say "no" to the courts.

[tonekat]

43. I hope Jones is sued into penury

We don't need people of his element on our planet.

[BeckyDem]

46. He put them through unimaginable hell.

A low-life of epic proportions.

[Judi Lynn]

47. Good news. Hope there will be endless losses ahead. Thank you. ⭐️

[LetMyPeopleVote]

48. Infowars owner Alex Jones just lost a THIRD defamation suit

Link to tweet

Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has lost his third lawsuit brought by a parent of a child who died in the Sandy Hook school shooting, one day after he lost two other Sandy Hook cases.

In a court filing unsealed Friday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble issued her ruling for default judgment against Jones in the defamation case brought by father Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was killed in the shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead.


A default judgment means Jones and Infowars will now be liable for all damages, and a jury will decide how much he will have to pay.