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u.s. news Diasabra 6 augustus 2022

Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M

(AP) — A Texas jury any award over $2 million necessary to shoot for the
Thursday ordered con- “would sink us.” moon to get the jury to un-
spiracy theorist Alex Jones derstand we were serious and
to pay more than $4 mil- It likely won’t be the last passionate. After tomorrow,
lion — significantly less judgment against Jones — he’s going to owe a lot more.”
than the $150 million be- who was not in the court-
ing sought — in compen- room — over his claims The total amount awarded in
satory damages to the that the attack was staged in this case could set a marker
parents of a 6-year-old the interests of increasing for the other lawsuits against
boy killed in the Sandy gun controls. A Connecticut Jones and underlines the fi-
Hook massacre, marking judge has ruled against him nancial threat he’s facing.
the first time the Infowars in a similar lawsuit brought It also raises new questions
host has been held finan- by other victims’ families and about the ability of Infowars
cially liable for repeat- an FBI agent who worked on — which has been banned
edly claiming the deadli- the case. He also faces anoth- from YouTube, Spotify and
est school shooting in U.S. er trial in Austin. Twitter for hate speech — to
history was a hoax. continue operating, although son and what followed: gun 10 feet away.
Jones’ lead attorney, Andino the company’s finances re- shots fired at a home, on-
The Austin jury must still de- Reynal, winked at his co- main unclear. line and phone threats, and “It seems so incredible to me
cide how much the Infowars counsel before leaving the harassment on the street that we have to do this — that
host should pay in punitive courtroom. He declined to Jones, who has portrayed by strangers. They said the we have to implore you, to
damages to Neil Heslin and comment on the verdict. the lawsuit as an attack on threats and harassment were punish you — to get you to
Scarlett Lewis, whose son his First Amendment rights, all fueled by Jones and his stop lying,” Lewis told Jones.
Jesse Lewis was among the Outside the courthouse, conceded during the trial that conspiracy theory spread to
20 children and six educators the plaintiffs’ attorney Mark the attack was “100% real” his followers via his website Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New
who were killed in the 2012 Bankston insisted that the and that he was wrong to Infowars. York, First Amendment law-
attack in Newtown, Con- $4.11 million amount wasn’t have lied about it. But Hes- yer who is not involved in the
necticut. a disappointment, noting it lin and Lewis told jurors that A forensic psychiatrist testi- Jones case, said the $4 mil-
was only part of the damages an apology wouldn’t suffice fied that the parents suffer lion in compensatory dam-
The parents had sought at Jones will have to pay. and called on them to make from “complex post-trau- ages was lower than he would
least $150 million in com- Jones pay for the years of suf- matic stress disorder” in- have expected given the evi-
pensation for defamation The jury returns Friday to fering he has put them and flicted by ongoing trauma, dence and testimony.
and intentional infliction of hear more evidence about other Sandy Hook families similar to what might be ex-
emotional distress. Jones’ at- Jones and his company’s fi- through. perienced by a soldier at war “But I don’t think Jones can
torney asked the jury to limit nances. or a child abuse victim. take this as a victory,” he add-
damages to $8 — one dollar The parents testified Tuesday ed. “The fact is, $4 million is
for each of the compensation “We aren’t done folks,” about how they’ve endured At one point in her testimo- significant even if we might
charges they are consider- Bankston said. “We knew a decade of trauma, inflicted ny, Lewis looked directly at have thought it would be a
ing — and Jones himself said coming into this case it was first by the murder of their Jones, who was sitting barely little higher.”

DeSantis suspends elected prosecutor over new abortion law

(AP) — Florida Gov. Ron you have violated your duty, ers in 2016 and in 2020. In a seekers or providers of abor- make abortion-related cases
DeSantis suspended the you have neglected your duty statement, Warren said “the tion or gender transition low priorities.
elected state prosecutor and you are displaying a lack people have the right to elect treatments.
of Tampa on Thursday for of competence to be able to their own leaders — not have More than 90 district attor- Florida’s new abortion re-
pledging not to enforce perform those duties,” De- them dictated by an aspiring neys, state attorneys general striction became effective
the state’s new 15-week Santis said to cheers. presidential candidate who and other elected prosecutors July 1. It prohibits abortions
abortion ban and for sup- has shown time and again he across the U.S. have signed after 15 weeks, with excep-
porting gender transition The suspension comes as feels accountable to no one.” the letter saying they don’t tions if the procedure is nec-
treatments for minors. DeSantis runs for reelection intend to prosecute people essary to save the pregnant
in Florida and builds his na- “The governor is trying to for seeking, providing or sup- woman’s life, prevent serious
The Republican governor tional profile as a potential overthrow the results of a porting abortions. injury or if the fetus has a fatal
announced the suspension of 2024 Republican presidential fair and free election, two of abnormality. It does not allow
Hillsborough County State candidate through near con- them actually,” he said later Some are in states with few exemptions in cases where
Attorney Andrew Warren at a stant criticism of liberal poli- Thursday at a news confer- or no restrictions on abor- pregnancies were caused by
news conference in the coun- cies on abortion, policing and ence. “People need to under- tions. But others are in law rape, incest or human traf-
ty’s sheriff’s office. other culture war issues. stand. This isn’t the governor enforcement in places where ficking.
trying to suspend one elected there are bans or deep restric-
“When you flagrantly violate Warren, a Democrat, was official. This is the governor tions – including the counties Violators could face up to
your oath of office, when you elected as state attorney by trying to overthrow democ- that include Birmingham, five years in prison. Physi-
make yourself above the law, Hillsborough County vot- racy here in Hillsborough Alabama, and Jackson, Mis- cians and other medical pro-
County.” sissippi, along with several fessionals could lose their
of Texas’ biggest cities. In licenses and face administra-
Warren added that no cases some cases, there might not tive fines of $10,000 for each
regarding violations of the be much to enforce because violation.
state’s new abortion law have many clinics have either
been brought to his office. stopped offering abortions or Florida has not enacted laws
have closed entirely. criminalizing gender transi-
In an executive order for- tion treatments for minors
mally suspending Warren, Besides the statements from but “these statements prove
DeSantis focused heavily on prosecutors, city councils in that Warren thinks he has the
Warren’s signing of state- places including Nashville, authority to defy the Florida
ments where prosecutors New Orleans and Boise, Legislature and nullify in his
from across the country said Idaho, have introduced or jurisdiction criminal laws
they won’t use their offices to adopted measures telling with which he disagrees,” the
pursue criminal cases against law enforcement agencies to executive order reads.