More than a dozen relatives of the 26 shooting victims showed up to watch his often contentious testimony in Superior Court in Waterbury, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Newtown, where the shooting took place. Jones was found liable last year by default for paying damages to plaintiffs without a trial for what the judge called his repeated failures to turn over documents to their lawyers. The six-judge jury is now deciding how much Jones and Free Speech Systems, parent of Jones Infowars media platforms, should pay for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On Thursday, Jones admitted to calling parents “crisis actors” on his show and said the shooting was “as fake as a three-dollar bill.” Plaintiff attorney Christopher Mattei accused Jones of putting targets on parents’ backs by pointing to family members in the courtroom and saying “these are real people.” “Like all Iraqis, you liberals have killed and loved,” Jones replied. “You’re just incredible. You turn emotions on, on and off when you want. You’re just chasing an ambulance.” “Why don’t you show some respect?” Mattei fought back, as Jones’ attorney, Norm Pattis, shouted objections and several family members shook their heads in apparent disbelief. The exchange continued with Mattei noting that the families in the courtroom had “lost children, sisters, wives, mothers.” “Is this a race session?” said Jones, who in recent years has admitted the shooting was real. “Are we in China? I’ve already said I’m sorry hundreds of times and I’m done saying sorry.” After dismissing jurors for the day, Judge Barbara Bellis warned both sides, saying further outbursts would lead to a contempt hearing. Bellis had started his day by addressing the issues Jones couldn’t bring up in his testimony: free speech rights. The Sandy Hook families’ $73 million settlement this year with gun manufacturer Remington (the company made the Bushmaster rifle used to kill the victims at Sandy Hook); the percentage of Jones’ broadcasts that discussed Sandy Hook. and whether he won from these shows or a similar case in Texas. “This is not the appropriate forum to offer this testimony,” Bellis said. Jones showed he understood. But jurors had to be sent out of the courtroom several times as lawyers argued over the scope of Jones’ answers. “You’re going to get your exercise today, for those of you wearing Fitbits,” the judge told the jury. Earlier in the trial, family members of the victims gave often emotional testimony describing how they endured death threats, personal harassment and abusive comments on social media. Some moved to avoid abuse. Jones’ broadcasts had depicted the Sandy Hook shooting as staged by crisis actors as part of gun control efforts. Testimony has also focused on website analytics data managed by Infowars employees, which show how sales of nutritional supplements, food, clothing and other items increased around the time Jones spoke out about the Sandy Hook shooting. The evidence, including internal emails and Infowars filings, also shows discord within the company over the promotion of hoax lies. Patis argues that any damages should be limited and accused the victims’ relatives of exaggerating the damage the lies caused them. Jones has already been found liable by default in two similar lawsuits related to the Sandy Hook hoax in his hometown of Austin, Texas, where a jury in one of the trials last month ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in restitution to parents of one of the children killed. A third trial in Texas is expected to begin near the end of the year. Jones was asked Thursday about a page on the Infowars website that called the trial a “kangaroo court” and included a graphic showing the judge with lasers shooting out of her eyes. He said the page was created by his staff, but called it a “good report.” Asked about the ads on this page and other Sandy Hook content, as well as the daily earnings reports. Jones said he could not answer those questions, but denied he saw the trial as a marketing opportunity. Later, when asked about fundraising and the items offered on his online store, he made sure to provide the URL where people could buy cryptocurrency to support his company. “This will end up as a clip on your show tonight,” Mattei said. “Advertising for your cryptocurrency page?” “I mean people want to keep us in the fight, so I mean I hope whatever the big whales are they would give us money before we keep doing it,” Jones said. Jones, who is expected back on the stand Friday, made brief comments to reporters as he left the courthouse. “The First Amendment will prevail,” he said. “The American people will never be silenced.”
Associated Press writer Michael Hill contributed to this report from Waterbury.
