Alex Jones is in Trouble

Background: What happened?

An extreme right wing conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones claimed that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. After a defamation trial, Jones was required to pay at least $965 million in damages to the families of the victims. [1] On Friday December 2, 2022 Jones filed for bankruptcy. Jones is protected under Chapter 11 of the Houston court. [2]

Results: What was the outcome of the trial?

Connecticut judge Barbara Bellis has ordered Jones’ assets to remain in the United States. Judge Bellis took this action since “it was claimed by the plaintiffs that Jones was trying to hide his assets from the court” [2] Since Jones has filed for bankruptcy, his assets are now open and must be declared in court. If Jones tries to hide his assets this will be a federal crime. [2]

Conclusions: What are the implications?

Since Jones filed under Chapter 11 for bankruptcy, “the debtor will remain in possession and a reorganized plan will be determined by a court as to how the debtor must pay” [4] It is currently unclear how Jones will be held accountable for his actions. Yet, Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families said “‘Like every other cowardly move Alex Jones has made, this bankruptcy will not work’” [3] The courts must continue to serve justice to the families of the victims and hold Alex Jones accountable for his actions.