Sandy Hook families’ defamation damages trial in opposition to Alex Jones to move forward in CT

BRIDGEPORT — A federal choose cleared the way in which for Sandy Hook households to have the defamation lawsuit they won against Alex Jones launched from bankruptcy safety and returned to state court, the place a trial to determine the damages Jones should pay had been set for August.

After a short status conference on Tuesday, federal chapter Judge Julie Manning obtained commitments from each side to submit an settlement for the families to drop three Jones-controlled entities at the moment in chapter safety from the defamation lawsuit the families won last year. As soon as Manning sanctions the agreement, it is going to allow the families to prepare for trial to determine how a lot money Jones will pay for calling the worst crime in Connecticut historical past “staged,” “synthetic,” “manufactured,” “a large hoax,” and “fully fake with actors.”

The Sandy Hook families shall be free to pursue their damages because they are going to now not be party to the three Jones-controlled businesses in bankruptcy. The families’ goal will likely be Jones himself and his mother or father company Free Speech Programs, which technically were not part of the chapter submitting, but which benefited from the automatic “keep” that federal bankruptcy cases have over state courts.

The settlement reached in chapter courtroom Tuesday will even end a month-long saga for an FBI agent and eight households who misplaced loved ones in 2012, when a gunman killed 26 first-graders and 6 educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The saga began when Jones sought bankruptcy protection for 3 of his business entities only one week before the first of two jury award trials were set to start in Texas, the place the dad and mom of two slain Sandy Hook boys additionally gained separate defamation instances against Jones final yr.

The Sandy Hook families here and in Texas accused Jones of “bad-faith” bankruptcy filings, for the reason that three businesses in query had a mixed monthly revenue of $38,000. Jones himself made a minimum of $76 million in 2019 by means of his conspiracy-based web merchandise and broadcast platform, Infowars, his representatives stated in court docket.

Last week, a federal chapter choose in Texas released Jones from Chapter 11 protection and sent his defamation circumstances again to state courtroom in Texas. The first jury trial to award damages was expected to start as soon as June.

On Tuesday in Connecticut, Manning expressed frustration that the case had persisted earlier than her for weeks with no resolution.

She proposed an answer to Alinor Sterling, a Bridgeport legal professional representing the Sandy Hook households, and Cameron Atkinson, a New Haven legal professional representing Jones.

“I have wasted too much time with this back-and-forth on these instances,” Manning said. “If attorney Sterling drafts an order and lawyer Atkinson agrees to a stipulated dismissal where everyone indicators it removing the defendant debtors, is that going to suffice?”

“I can certainly make it occur, your honor,” Sterling stated.

What occurs for Jones with three defamation damages trials pending is unclear.

Bankruptcy was Jones’ “good faith” effort to “pay collectors and pay them in an equal fashion,” his representatives stated in court.

Jones has already spent $10 million on attorney fees and has misplaced at the least $20 million due to the defamation lawsuits, according to his representatives.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342