Sept 22 (Reuters) – Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones sparked a courtroom shouting match on Thursday, lashing out at critics as he testified in a trial to determine how much he owes the families of victims of the Sandy Elementary School shooting. Hook in 2012. falsely claimed it was a hoax. Tensions flared after about four hours of testimony in a Waterbury, Connecticut, courtroom near Newtown, the town where the massacre took place. Jones lashed out at “liberals” and refused to apologize to a gallery packed with victims’ families. “These are real people, you know that Mr. Jones? asked an attorney for the families, Chris Mattei. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up “Just like all Iraqis, you liberals killed and loved,” replied Jones, a Texas-based web talk show host who is being sued for saying that no one was killed at Sandy Hook and that the families were just actors. Many of his followers then tortured and threatened the families. The defamation lawsuit is only about how much Jones and the parent company of the Infowars website must pay in damages for spreading lies that the US government orchestrated the killing of 20 children and six employees as a pretext for seizing weapons. The testimony sparked a three-way shouting match between Jones, Mattei and Jones’ attorney, Norman Pattis, who repeatedly objected to Mattei’s questioning. After jurors left for the day, Judge Barbara Bellis told attorneys she would implement a “zero tolerance” policy for disruption and hold contempt of court hearings for anyone who “steps out of line,” including Jones. Jones also tested the judge’s patience after Mattei played a video clip in which he praised his followers for placing Infowars stickers around the Connecticut courthouse. Infowars founder Alex Jones takes the witness stand to testify during the Alex Jones Sandy Hook defamation trial in Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., September 22, 2022. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool via REUTERS read more “Conservatives put up stickers and we’re bad, I know, we should all go to jail,” Jones said mockingly on the witness stand, prompting the judge to clear the courtroom for a moment and confer with the attorneys. Jones is not facing any criminal charges. The clip played as Mattei presented evidence that Jones’ followers had harassed Sandy Hook families online and in person, including at memorials for the victims. Jones also acknowledged calling Bellis a “tyrant” after Mattei presented an image posted on Infowars depicting Bellis with red lasers shooting from her eyes. He said he is not responsible for the post. Bellis largely banned discussion of politics and conspiracy theories at the trial. Jones is also barred from contesting his liability for damages after Bellis entered a default judgment last year for repeatedly failing to comply with court orders. Jurors must decide only what Jones and Infowars parent Free Speech Systems must pay the plaintiffs, who include an FBI agent, for the pain and suffering they say they caused. A month ago, the conspiracy theorist was hit with a $49.3 million verdict in a similar case in Texas, where Free Speech Systems is based. Jones’ attorneys hope to void most of the payment, calling it excessive under Texas law. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Reporting by Jack Queen in New York. Editing by Amy Stevens, Mark Porter and Richard Chang Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
