Conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones on Monday lost lawsuits brought by families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre when a judge overseeing the case ruled Jones liable for damages after he refused to turn over documents.
Jones has long perpetuated fraudulent theories that the 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which killed 26 people, including 20 children, was a hoax or even a “false flag” attack by the government. Families of the victims have sued Jones for promoting lies about their loved ones’ deaths and have spoken about being harassed by those who believe in the conspiracy theory.
The Hartford Courant reports that Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis cited Jones’s refusal to turn over data on his companies’ finances and website analytics, as requested for the trial’s discovery process, as a reason to hold him liable by default. “Their failure to produce critical documents, (and) their disregard for the discovery process and procedure and court orders, is a pattern of obstructive conduct that interferes with the ability of the plaintiff to conduct meaningful discovery,” Bellis said.
The decision comes on top of a recent ruling by a Texas judge who found Jones liable in two other Sandy Hook–related cases after he failed to submit requested documents to the court. Hearings will be held next year to determine the amount of damages and legal fees Jones will have to pay to the families in both Connecticut and Texas, according to the New York Times.
