
With nonstop media coverage during the trial, Jesse Lewis’ family finally faced the man who had caused them anguish since their child died (via CNN). Scarlett Lewis spoke face to face with Jones in a silent courtroom, saying, “Jesse was real. I am a real mom.” She told him about the unimaginable pain of knowing her six-year-old died in the massacre, compounded with Jones very publicly accused her of being an actress involved in a hoax.
Alex Jones must pay $45.2 million to the Sandy Hook Elementary School families who brought a lawsuit against him for his inflammatory statements about the horrific mass shooting, according to CNN. That total is for punitive damages, he will also have to pay the families $4.1 million in compensatory damages, for a total of $49.3 million. NPR reports that Jones’ main business, Infowars, earns roughly $300 million per year. But Jones still claimed that if he had to pay more than $2 million, he would go broke.
Jones is guaranteed to have to pay out the first $49.3 million, and then there will be two more trials from Sandy Hook families that Jones has already lost. Per Reuters, Jones’ next trial to determine damages will be heard in Austin, Texas, but it has been put on hold since his company declared bankruptcy. Damages will then be decided in a case in Connecticut in a different defamation trial.