Last month, a Connecticut jury ordered Alex Jones to pay the families of eight Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent (who responded to the shooting )nearly $965 million in compensatory damages. While there have been previous civil cases brought against him that have also resulted in damages, this is by far the most significant and most damaging ruling for Jones, his empire and conspiracy theorists everywhere. This ruling shows the consequences of lying, spreading misinformation and profiting from it, but it also shows, refreshingly, the value of truth.

Jones was sued in civil court for defamation and the intentional infliction of emotional distress due to his claims that the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting and their families were crisis actors. These lies led to the families being threatened and harassed by Jones’ followers in the years following the tragedy. 

Jones was also sued for violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act after he profited from these lies. Jones and Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems LLC, created conspiracy theories following the mass shooting and used these theories to build an audience and make millions of dollars. Experts testified that Jones’ audience swelled, as did his revenue from product sales, when he made the Sandy Hook shooting a topic on the show. Jones’ total profits from his lies are estimated to be between $100 million to $1 billion. His theatrics didn’t stop there. He continued by mocking the trial on his show, and later held a press conference on the courthouse steps the day he attended the trial, all efforts to widen and maintain his audience.  

This ruling, similar to a case brought by the same families against the gun manufacturer Remington, is a significant punishment for Jones’ irresponsibility, recklessness and malicious behavior. It could easily cripple Jones, his empire and the parent company, as it should. 

This decision will serve as a warning to those on internet communities who create and profit from lies. In an age of media misinformation becoming commonplace, this ruling could not be more important. A lawyer representing the families in this case, Josh Koskoff, explained that “if this verdict shuts down Alex Jones, good. He’s been walking in the shadow of death to try to profit on the backs of people who have just been devastated. That is not a business model that should be sustainable in the United States.” 

Unfortunately, the issues that have allowed Jones to grow in popularity in our country are nowhere near eliminated. However, this verdict will hopefully make people similar to Alex Jones more hesitant to use people’s pain for their entertainment and profit. Plaintiff William Sherlach hopes this verdict sets a new precedent. “Going forward — because, unfortunately, there will be other horrific events like this — people like Alex Jones will have to rethink what they say.”

This ruling also shows us that, while people like Jones are protected under freedom of speech and, therefore, cannot be prosecuted in criminal court, the legal system can and will still hold them accountable, emphasizing the importance of truth. The civil court system is more than able to punish people who spread harmful misinformation on the internet. As Sherlach put it, the verdict “shows that the internet is not the wild, wild West and that your actions have consequences.” The plaintiff’s legal team has placed the total weight of the legal system on Jones and is squeezing him for everything he has.

There is also the question of whether monetary compensation is fair in this case and whether Jones should go to jail. He should certainly go to jail; he deserves it tenfold for the pain he has put families through on top of losing their children, mothers, wives and siblings. Unfortunately, though, this is not a realistic option. 

The First Amendment is a vital aspect of our democracy, and however many people try to take it for granted, we must respect it. In the First Amendment case Snyder vs. Phelps, where Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of a dead Marine because he was gay, Chief Justice John Roberts poignantly described the turmoil that exists with free speech protections. He explains that “Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and … inflict great pain. As a Nation, we have chosen … to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Nonetheless, having freedom of speech does not mean that Jones can say and do whatever he likes without any consequences, and this verdict proves that. Jones knowingly lied, defamed people and profited from it. He is not going to jail because of our First Amendment protections, but there are still limitations and punishments. Theoretically, Jones could lie for the rest of his life — he has that freedom. He just has to be willing to accept the consequences and continue to pay (literally) for his actions. 

In this case, nothing, not even the amount Jones must pay, will feel like full justice. The money will not automatically stop all people like Jones from lying and it certainly can never take away the pain Jones has caused to the victims’ families. Nevertheless, the amount of money awarded is an astounding win, and it will significantly harm Jones, if not destroy him. This is the best outcome the legal system offers, and it will exist in the minds of everyone who spreads misinformation. 

Claire Bickel, FCRH ’24, is a political science and international political economy major from Branford, Conn.