Attorney analyzes Alex Jones' verdict

(12 Oct 2022) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: HEADLINE: Analyzing Alex Jones' trial POOL Waterbury, Connecticut - 12 October 2022 1. Wide of courtroom ASSOCIATED PRESS Los Angeles, California - 12 October 2022 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Tre Lovell, Attorney: "I wasn't that surprised in the sense that Jones really dug his own grave on this. He got himself caught in a default situation where he - they chose through their litigation tactics to get in trouble, get default and go straight to damages, which was a really misstep because a case like this in defamation with an actual malice standard, they're tough to win, and had he not done that, had he participated in the process, he may be able to defend or put up a good fight." ++WHITE FLASH++ 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tre Lovell, Attorney: "Jones has a few moves he can make. You know, he certainly can appeal both the damages award. He may be able to appeal the default, you know, and he has the option of bankruptcy." ++WHITE FLASH++ 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Tre Lovell, Attorney: "It does have implications for freedom of speech, but I think they're good. ++WHITE FLASH++ 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tre Lovell, Attorney: "And it's going to have an effect on other organizations, the media, as well as others in the public that, hey, we're not completely immune from liability because the First Amendment, you know, you can poke through it on the right facts." POOL Waterbury, Connecticut - 22 September 2022 6. Alex Jones on the stand ANNOTATION: The $956 million verdict is the second against Jones for spreading the myth that the massacre never happened and that the grieving families were actors. POOL Waterbury, Connecticut - 12 October 2022 7. Sandy Hook parent Robert Parke listening to verdict ANNOTATION: The verdict came in a defamation lawsuit filed by the relatives of children, three educators and an FBI agent who was among the first responders. 8. David and Francine Wheeler, Sandy Hook parents, listening to verdict STORYLINE: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered by a Connecticut jury to pay $965 million to people who suffered from his false claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. The verdict is the second big judgment against the Infowars host for claiming the massacre was staged. Los Angeles attorney Tre Lovell says the judgment is large, but not surprising. It came in a lawsuit filed by the relatives of eight victims. An FBI agent who responded to the shooting was also a plaintiff "It was a strikingly high figure, certainly for defamation cases, but I wasn't that surprised in the sense that Jones really dug his own grave on this. He got himself caught in a default situation where he he they they chose through their litigation tactics to get in trouble, get default and go straight to damages," said Lovell. Jones now believes the shooting was real, but he says he had a right to publicly question whether it happened. A Texas jury in August ordered Jones to pay $50 million to the parents of another slain child. "It does have implications for freedom of speech, but I think they're good," said Lovell. "This kind of puts a beacon out there that beware if you knowingly hurt or you're certainly reckless in your acquisition of facts and confirmations. You may be liable." =========================================================== Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/18b428652e824426b8ef2b07cc581b26