AUSTIN, Texas -- A Texas jury on Friday decided that Infowars host Alex Jones must pay the parents of a child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting $45.2 million in punitive damages, one day after rendering a $4 million award for compensatory damages.
The total -- $49.3 million -- is less than the $150 million sought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators killed in the deadliest classroom shooting in U.S. history. But the trial marks the first time Jones has been held financially liable for lying about the attack in Newtown, Conn.
This week's trial was the first of three to determine how much Jones owes the families for the suffering he has caused.
A trial for damages in another of the suits is scheduled to begin next month in Connecticut, but it could be delayed because of a bankruptcy filing last week by Free Speech Systems. Lawyers for the families criticized the move as another attempt by Jones to shield his wealth and evade judgment.
Jurors in Texas deliberated for about four hours before reaching Friday's verdict.
After the verdict, Lewis said Jones has been held accountable. She said when she took the stand and looked Jones in the eye, she thought of her son who was credited with saving lives by yelling "run" when the killer paused in his rampage.
"He stood up to the bully Adam Lanza and saved nine of his classmates' lives," Lewis said. "I hope that I did that incredible courage justice when I was able to confront Alex Jones, who is also a bully. I hope that inspires other people to do the same."
Earlier this week, Jones testified that any award over $2 million would "sink us."
Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. A high punitive award is also seen as a chance for jurors to send a wider societal message and a way to deter others from the same abhorrent conduct in the future.
Barry Covert, a Buffalo, N.Y., First Amendment lawyer with no connection to the Jones case, said Friday's high punitive award added to Thursday's compensatory award amounts to "a stunning loss for Jones."
"With $50 million in all, the jury has sent a huge, loud message that this behavior will not be tolerated," Covert said. "Everyone with a show like this who knowingly tells lies -- juries will not tolerate it."
Future jurors in other pending Sandy Hook trials could see the damages amounts in this case as a benchmark, Covert said. And if other juries do, Covert said, "it could very well put Jones out of business."
Attorneys for the family had urged jurors to hand down a financial punishment that would force Infowars to shut down.
Before the jury began its deliberations Friday, Wesley Ball, a lawyer for Heslin and Lewis, asked jurors to award nearly $146 million in punitive damages, bringing the total award to $150 million.
"We ask that you send a very, very simple message and that is: Stop Alex Jones," Ball said. "Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies. Please."
An economist testified Friday that Jones and the company are worth up to $270 million, suggesting that Jones was still making money.
Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones' net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him.
"That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth," Pettingill said. "He's got money put in a bank account somewhere."
The money that flows into Jones' companies eventually funnels its way to him, said Pettingill, who added that he has testified in approximately 1,500 cases during his career.
Jones' lawyer, Federico Reynal, asked the jury to award $270,000 in punitive damages. He urged them to look at the facts and the law and to "think about what justice really means."
He also reminded the jurors that all 12 of them had to agree on a punitive damages. "Never give up, never surrender your own firmly held voice," he said.
Jones -- who was in the courtroom briefly Friday but not there for the verdict -- still faces two other defamation lawsuits from Sandy Hook families in Texas and Connecticut that put his personal wealth and media empire in jeopardy.
Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families suing Jones contend that he has tried to hide evidence of his true wealth in various shell companies.
During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a memo from one of his business managers outlining a single day's gross revenue of $800,000 from selling vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which would approach nearly $300 million in a year. Jones called it a record sales day.
Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, conceded during the trial that the attack was "100% real" and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldn't suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through.
The parents told jurors about how they've endured a decade of trauma, inflicted first by the murder of their son and what followed: gun shots fired at a home, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via Infowars.
A forensic psychiatrist testified that the parents suffer from "complex post-traumatic stress disorder" inflicted by ongoing trauma, similar to what might be experienced by a soldier at war or a child abuse victim.
Throughout the trial, Jones has talked about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu news conferences and on his show. His erratic behavior is unusual by courtroom standards, and the judge has scolded him, telling him at one point: "This is not your show."
The trial has drawn attention from outside Austin as well.
Mark Bankston, an attorney for Heslin and Lewis, told the court Thursday that the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has requested records from Jones' phone that Jones' attorneys had mistakenly turned over to the plaintiffs. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committee's request.
Last month, the Jan. 6 committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for for former President Donald Trump.
The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack.
Information for this article was contributed by Jim Vertuno of The Associated Press and Michael Levenson of The New York Times.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones attempts to answer questions about his emails asked by Mark Bankston, lawyer for Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, during trial at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Wednesday Aug. 3, 2022. Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% real." (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Economic expert Bernard Pettingill is called to testify to discuss the net worth of Alex Jones and Free Speech Systems Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas. Jurors were asked to assess punitive damages against InfoWars host Alex Jones after awarding $4.1 million in actual damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis on Thursday. (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Andino Reynal, lawyer for Alex Jones, looks on during closing arguments Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas. Jurors were asked to assess punitive damages against InfoWars host Alex Jones after awarding $4.1 million in actual damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis on Thursday. (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Wesley Ball speaks to Mark Bankston, lawyers representing Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, during trial at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Wednesday Aug. 3, 2022. Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% real." (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Wesley Ball tells jurors the scales are imbalanced when it comes to evidence provided while giving closing arguments Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas. Jurors were asked to assess punitive damages against InfoWars host Alex Jones after awarding $4.1 million in actual damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis on Thursday. (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Mark Bankston, lawyer for Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, asks Alex Jones questions about text messages during trial at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Wednesday Aug. 3, 2022. Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% real." (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Andino Reynal, left, and Wesley Ball, right, speak to the judge during closing arguments Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas. Jurors were asked to assess punitive damages against InfoWars host Alex Jones after awarding $4.1 million in actual damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis on Thursday. (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)
Andino Reynal, lawyer for Alex Jones, gives closing arguments Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas. Jurors were asked to assess punitive damages against InfoWars host Alex Jones after awarding $4.1 million in actual damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis on Thursday. (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool)