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Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

bbc.com

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Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#61

Post by MisterBastahrd »

fellowniusmonk wrote: post #18
drexlspivey wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am astounded how someone can sit on the stand and spew lie after lie after lie under oath with no repercussions.

yeah, I guess lying under oath is no big deal? I always thought it mattered. I was deposed to give testimony once in a dispute between two other parties and it was nerve wracking to give testimony about a few questions because it was stuff I hadn't thought about in a couple of year. Turns out it's no big deal to lie under oath? This is really troubling, how can we have the rule of law if lying under oath is allowed f…

I'm not a lawyer, but I suspect that judges sorta know that people who are being sued or prosecuted are not exactly going to be reliable witnesses if they testify, and that it'd probably be a bigger deal if this were one of Jones' associates who wasn't on the hook for the money. There's also plenty of time for the judge to dial up some perjury referrals.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#62

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

titzer wrote: post #41
drexlspivey wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am astounded how someone can sit on the stand and spew lie after lie after lie under oath with no repercussions.

If there are no consequences for anything, the system is coming apart. There is a good goddamn reason why lying under oath, or even lying to investigators, is a crime, because truth is the bedrock of accountability. Truth is always the first victim of psychopaths.

Doesn't this assume the system ever worked? Is this actually a sign of the decline of civilization, or just that we are able to aware of the status quo now?

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#64

Post by chmod600 »

titzer wrote: post #41
drexlspivey wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am astounded how someone can sit on the stand and spew lie after lie after lie under oath with no repercussions.

If there are no consequences for anything, the system is coming apart. There is a good goddamn reason why lying under oath, or even lying to investigators, is a crime, because truth is the bedrock of accountability. Truth is always the first victim of psychopaths.

Lying to investigators shouldn't be a crime, in my opinion. It too often creates a situation where you can just investigate someone endlessly, find no real evidence, and then convict them of lying based on some flimsy inconsistencies in their statements.

I suppose some specific kinds of lies could be crimes, but there should be a high bar for both the type of lie told as well as the certainty that it's really a lie.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#65

Post by xnyan »

Overtonwindow wrote: post #8

I'm curious if it will get reduced or overturned on appeal.

In theory the law is applied without personal bias, but of course all legal officers are humans and in practice personal bias can be very relevant.

The man propagated a repugnant and objectively false slander, that parents of murdered children were engaged in a performative coverup, which lead to countless death threats and other indignities against the parents.

I everyone should get fair treatment under the law, but I think it’s almost impossible to imagine the nature of what he did will not influence the outcome of his trial and appeals. Also, civil cases have lower standards of proof and far fewer opportunities for a judgment to be appealed than criminal.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#66

Post by rbanffy »

Loughla wrote: post #4

So all the memes aside, is anyone else astounded at how poorly that went for Alex Jones? Just a shit-show nearly the entire time. From his terrible legal representation, to his own terrible testimony. Just a mess. I mean, his 'on-air' personality is a mess, but I always sort of thought it was just a show. It's interesting to me that it turned out he really is just an absolute train-wreck of a person.

I believe 4 million is a very small amount for the hurt he caused.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#67

Post by noasaservice »

drexlspivey wrote: post #10
Loughla wrote: post #4

So all the memes aside, is anyone else astounded at how poorly that went for Alex Jones? Just a shit-show nearly the entire time. From his terrible legal representation, to his own terrible testimony. Just a mess. I mean, his 'on-air' personality is a mess, but I always sort of thought it was just a show. It's interesting to me that it turned out he really is just an absolute train-wreck of a person.

I am astounded how someone can sit on the stand and spew lie after lie after lie under oath with no repercussions.

Like what police do regularly?

I sat in a jury for a DUI case. Their lead witness, a narcotics cop, lied blatantly on the stand in complete opposition to his deposition.

We jurors made up our minds 10 minutes in - not guilty. But this cop? He perjured himself. And not so much as a peep from the judge.

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#69

Post by alfiedotwtf »

fellowniusmonk wrote: post #18
drexlspivey wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am astounded how someone can sit on the stand and spew lie after lie after lie under oath with no repercussions.

yeah, I guess lying under oath is no big deal? I always thought it mattered. I was deposed to give testimony once in a dispute between two other parties and it was nerve wracking to give testimony about a few questions because it was stuff I hadn't thought about in a couple of year. Turns out it's no big deal to lie under oath? This is really troubling, how can we have the rule of law if lying under oath is allowed f…

It probably has to do with how much money you have as well

Re: Alex Jones must pay $4M in damages for Sandy Hook hoax claims

#70

Post by vannevar »

jliptzin wrote: post #26
Loughla wrote: post #4

So all the memes aside, is anyone else astounded at how poorly that went for Alex Jones? Just a shit-show nearly the entire time. From his terrible legal representation, to his own terrible testimony. Just a mess. I mean, his 'on-air' personality is a mess, but I always sort of thought it was just a show. It's interesting to me that it turned out he really is just an absolute train-wreck of a person.

That went terribly for him? $4 million is pocket change for him, he made way more than that off his nonstop lies and conspiracy theories

The punitive damages are yet to be determined, and unlike the compensatory phase, for punitives the jury can take into account his net worth.
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