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Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#341

Post by nobody9999 »

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #217
wyager wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're making up a narrative for why suppressing free speech is acceptable in this instance, not discharging the notion that free speech was, in fact, suppressed. The fact that a conspiracy talk radio guy can get hit with a billion dollar fine for some off-hand nutso claim (that he subsequently recanted!) is a very unpromising barometer for the health of free speech in our country.

His speech isn't being suppressed. The government didn't arrest him. He's being sued for damages he caused to the families of the victims he lied about. That's as American as it gets.

>His speech isn't being suppressed. The government didn't arrest him. He's being sued for damages he caused to the families of the victims he lied about. That's as American as it gets.

I'd add that he is still free to continue lying forever. No one is stopping him from doing so.

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#343

Post by thaumasiotes »

tptacek wrote: post #333
thaumasiotes wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Defamation law has always existed and people can always sue you for libel and slander. But a $965 million dollar judgment for libel or slander would have to be justified by comparable damages. That isn't the case here.

Sure it is. The jury literally just found those damages. These aren't punitive damages, they're compensatory. Punitive damages are the next phase of the case.

I accept that the jury labeled the amount as compensatory damage. But it is obviously the case that that amount of damage was not dealt.

Nobody involved had a reputation that was worth $100 million dollars.

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#344

Post by bachmeier »

tptacek wrote: post #333
thaumasiotes wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Defamation law has always existed and people can always sue you for libel and slander. But a $965 million dollar judgment for libel or slander would have to be justified by comparable damages. That isn't the case here.

Sure it is. The jury literally just found those damages. These aren't punitive damages, they're compensatory. Punitive damages are the next phase of the case.

> These aren't punitive damages

I don't see anything indicating this in the linked article.

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#345

Post by alexnewman »

toomanyrichies wrote: post #229
alexnewman wrote: post #197

Stupid question, why not 1 trillion? Is it dischargeable in bankruptcy? I assume he won’t even get close to 1B. Figure it gets cut to 500M in appeals, and he doesn’t make 100M in his lifetime. What happens? I believe The largest fine paid by a banking executive responsible for the 2008 Financial Crisis was $67.5 million

> he doesn’t make 100M in his lifetime. Infowars made $165 million in 3 years [1]. 1. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/alex-jon...

Revenue or profit? It’s unclear. If it’s revenue, at 10% margin, I’d guess he’s close to broke after expenses.

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#346

Post by thaumasiotes »

jjulius wrote: post #337
thaumasiotes wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but what Alex Jones did was not just "the wrong words", it was blatant slander that permanently ruined the lives of these people. How did it do that?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33183758

By this standard, a really large number of people have had their lives "permanently ruined" by all kinds of different things.

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#347

Post by o_1 »

bsder wrote: post #224
wara23arish wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

are we holding all news to the same account regarding deliberate lying for profit? i hate double standards

Sadly, no. Liars on CNN get fired. Plaigiarists at the New York Times get fired. Let's contrast this to ... say ... Fox "News". Oh, wait, Fox testified in court that they weren't news . Sorry, my fault.

Is this a cable news doesn't lie pitch? Or is this just another 1sideism?

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#348

Post by tptacek »

bachmeier wrote: post #344
tptacek wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure it is. The jury literally just found those damages. These aren't punitive damages, they're compensatory. Punitive damages are the next phase of the case.

> These aren't punitive damages I don't see anything indicating this in the linked article.

Punitive damages in Connecticut civil cases are awarded in a later phase of the case. The jury recommends that punitive damages be assessed, and the number is worked out later. These are compensatory damages.

Re: Alex Jones told to pay $965M damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

#350

Post by incahoots »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #309
alexb_ wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I normally would agree with you - I'm very pro free speech - but what Alex Jones did was not just "the wrong words", it was blatant slander that permanently ruined the lives of these people. I understand why you're concerned, but we've had slander laws forever, and this is exactly what it's used for.

> but what Alex Jones did was not just "the wrong words", it was blatant slander that permanently ruined the lives of these people. How did it do that?

from what I recall he doxxed a few of the families and invoked a call to arms to his listeners to harass, stalk, and threaten said families.

It's not as if he drove by the homes of these people and yelled expletives.

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