(NewsSpace.com) – In December 2012, less than two weeks before Christmas, a gunman opened fire in Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing 26 people and wounding two others. In the aftermath, Alex Jones denied the shooting occurred, claiming it was a “giant hoax.” That led to the victims’ families being harassed and threatened on top of suffering incredible losses. In the decade following, some of the families sued Jones, who was found liable for defamation in 2022 and ordered to pay a stunning $1 billion. Those families have now taken another step.
After he was ordered to pay punitive and compensatory damages to the Sandy Hook victims’ families, Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. However, a judge ruled that his judgment and damages could not be expunged with bankruptcy protection because the award was due to his “intent to harm the Plaintiffs,” which is protected by law.
Despite his attempts to get out of paying the debt, the victims’ families recently voted to allow for the liquidation of the Infowars founder’s assets. They filed the unanimous decision on the federal bankruptcy court docket. A hearing is planned for March to determine a plan to liquidate and distribute said assets, selling everything allowable by law, which could include cash, cars, and real estate.
Jones had initially proposed paying $5.5 million per year over 10 years, counteracting the victims’ families’ request for him to pay $8.5 million over 10 years. That was subsequently rejected, leading to the vote. According to Bloomberg, the survey preserves the victims’ rights to take further legal action against parties associated with not just Jones but also Infowars.
The vote toward liquidation is a move forward in the process of seeing the families receive the money awarded to them. However, the sum they will receive is nowhere near the judgment. Still, before anything can progress, the appeal process—Jones’ attorneys filed appeals in Texas and Connecticut—must be completed.
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