Jury #now deliberating how much Infowars' Alex Jones owes the family of a Sandy Hook victim - to compensate them for emotional damages& defamation caused by what their attorneys call a "decade of lies." Jones' team wants jury to consider how much "actual damage" his words caused.
#NEW: While we are waiting for a verdict, Jones' attorney tries to file an emergency motion for protection over a file transfer link he shared with the family's attorneys.
We learned about this yesterday - catch up here: kxan.com/news/sandy-hoo…
We learned about this yesterday - catch up here: kxan.com/news/sandy-hoo…
Defense attorney Andino Reynal tells judge that the plaintiffs "immediately recognized" that the files were confidential and contained medical records.
Reynal says he emailed them back, asking them to "disregard the link."
Calls for a mistrial & asks them to delete the info.
Reynal says he emailed them back, asking them to "disregard the link."
Calls for a mistrial & asks them to delete the info.
Reynal said they could have come to the court for a ruling but instead accuses them of “rooting through” information containing attorney-client privileged communications and records.
Plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston fires back: says under Texas law the attorneys need to state the privilege/protection asserted within 10 days and that didn't happen. Says he is putting "a fig leaf over his own malpractice… attempting to put that on me."
Bankston goes on to say it's a "significant data breach" - saying Norm Pattis, representing Jones in the ongoing case in CT, was passing his file along to Reynal. He calls this "independently very troubling" since Reynal has not appeared in that case.
Bankston says when he realized the confidential psychiatric/medical records of 9 plaintiffs in the other ongoing case - he destroyed them. "Mr. Reynal is not allowed to have those records."
Argues the vast majority of info on the cell phone is not confidential and that the defense is required by law to designate which materials were confidential.
Bankston: "I am under request from various federal agencies and law enforcement to provide that phone" and absent a ruling from judge, he intends to do so immediately. Says those requests have come from the Jan. 6 committee and the plaintiffs in the CT case.
Bankston calls Reynal's request not only frivolous but "downright perverse" - because it would "seal up an entire universe of things that should have been produced" at least 6 months ago.
Reynal asks for 10 days from yesterday to go through the info or asks for a hold on disclosure until he can start marking documents.
"If not, the cat is out of the bag," he says.
"If not, the cat is out of the bag," he says.
"They are going to [subpoena] them now... they know about them," the judge says.
Judge gives Reynal a little bit of time while they wait to determine if there is a reason she should order Bankston not to disclose the materials to those asking.
Judge gives Reynal a little bit of time while they wait to determine if there is a reason she should order Bankston not to disclose the materials to those asking.
Judge asks Reynal if he was serious about his request for a mistrial for "like the 17th time or something." Denied.
Just published, more details here: kxan.com/news/jan-6-com…
Back in the courtroom. Waiting on jury.
#BREAKING: Jury is back and has reached a verdict for how much Alex Jones must pay Sandy Hook parents. Update to come.
The verdict has been signed by 10 jurors.
The jury has decided Alex Jones will owe $4.1 million dollars to the parents of the Sandy Hook victim in this lawsuit. @KXAN_News
Remember, this is the first of two verdicts - compensatory damages. The next verdict they will be tasked with is for punitive damages.
Remember, this is the first of two verdicts - compensatory damages. The next verdict they will be tasked with is for punitive damages.
@KXAN_News Question 1. What sum of money would compensate Neil Heslin for damages caused by defendents’ defamatory publications on June 26, 2017 and July 20, 2017?
@KXAN_News a. Injury to reputation that Neil Heslin sustained in the past: $50,000
b. Injury to reputation that, in reasonable probability, Neil Heslin will sustain in the future: $10,000
b. Injury to reputation that, in reasonable probability, Neil Heslin will sustain in the future: $10,000
@KXAN_News c. Mental anguish that Neil Heslin sustained in the past: $50,000
d. Mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Neil Heslin will sustain in the future: none
d. Mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Neil Heslin will sustain in the future: none
@KXAN_News Question 2. What sum of money, would compensate Neil Heslin for his damages, caused by defendants’ intentional infliction of emotional distress from 2013 to 2018?
@KXAN_News a. Mental anguish that Neil Heslin sustained in the past: $1.5 million
b. Mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Neil Heslin will sustain in the future: $500,000
b. Mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Neil Heslin will sustain in the future: $500,000
@KXAN_News Question 3.What sum of money would compensate Scarlett Lewis for her damages caused by Defendants' intentional infliction of emotional distress from 2013 to 2018?
@KXAN_News a. Mental anguish that Scarlett Lewis sustained in the past: $1.5 million
b. Mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Scarlett Lewis will sustain in the future: $500,000
b. Mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Scarlett Lewis will sustain in the future: $500,000
Hearing from plaintiff’s attorney Mark Bankston - here’s a portion:
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
