The Supreme Court has thrown out a last-ditch appeal by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, locking in a $1.4 billion judgment over his Sandy Hook hoax lies.
Jones had asked the justices to undo a Connecticut case that ended in a rare default ruling after he blew discovery deadlines and court orders. A jury hit him with $964 million—followed by $473 million in punitive damages—over years of smears that the 2012 massacre of 20 first-graders and six educators was staged by “crisis actors.”
The Court on Tuesday declined to comment and did not even request a response from the Sandy Hook families, leaving intact a judgment among the largest in U.S. libel history
Jones was asking the court to pause a lower-court judgment that would require him to pay more than $1.4 billion.
Lawyers for the Infowars founder and host argued the families had “no possible hope of collecting” the full amount.
The appeal claimed Jones’ speech was protected by the First Amendment.
The Connecticut Appellate Court largely upheld the award after trimming some punitive damages, and the high court’s denial leaves that intact. SCOTUSblog noted Jones separately sought an emergency stay, warning the families could soon seize Infowars.
Jones filed for bankruptcy in late 2022. The fallout has ricocheted through the broadcaster’s Austin-based Free Speech Systems, with courts and creditors pushing liquidation to satisfy the families’ claims.
A bankruptcy auction last year initially crowned The Onion as the winning bidder to remake Infowars into a parody of itself, a twist that was later snarled in court fights, as the price and terms became part of a larger legal brawl.
In August, a Texas judge appointed a receiver to take control of Infowars’ assets, a move Jones is appealing. Tuesday’s Supreme Court action removes his biggest legal lifeline while the asset fight continues in Austin.
Jones also faces a separate $49 million Texas judgment secured by the parents of another Sandy Hook victim after he failed to turn over evidence, in an ongoing appeal.
The Daily Beast has contacted Alex Jones for comment.
