Alex Jones seeks new trial after Sandy Hook verdict of almost $1 billion
A hearing before California’s Court of Appeal on Tuesday
An FBI agent is shown on a video obtained by the defense.
The Associated Press | AP
A hearing before California’s Court of Appeal on Tuesday on a request for a new trial in the trial of Alex Jones over the Sandy Hook school shooting verdict by an Israeli court will focus on whether the jury was prejudiced against the father of a victim of the mass shooting.
But the proceedings are likely to be the closest thing yet to a trial by a jury.
Prosecutors and the defense are still awaiting rulings from the court, which is expected to rule on the request for a new trial by the end of the week.
The Justice Department asked the court to deny the request for a new trial, but the state’s high court reversed the jury’s verdict in January after concluding it was wrong to ignore evidence of Jones’ conspiracy with “Luciferian” groups that had infiltrated American society.
A judge in Israel set the damages at 1.8 million shekels, or $1.5 million. But the amount was later reduced to $1.35 billion because the jury found Jones was not personally liable for the Sandy Hook mass shooting.
Jones has repeatedly denied that he was involved in the Sandy Hook shooting. And he maintains he was set up by a rogue FBI agent, John Guandolo.
The government contends that Jones, who regularly makes anti-Semitic, racist and conspiracy theories, was behind the shootings and should pay more than $4 billion in damages.
The government also asked the appellate court to reduce the amount it is seeking, arguing the jury did not sufficiently account for the evidence — Jones’ conspiracy with the “Luciferian” groups and evidence he failed to follow orders by FBI agents.
According to the government, the jurors relied on an inaccurate chart purporting to show the flow of guns through Sandy Hook’s hall of horrors when deciding the amount of damages.
The attorneys for the defense had no immediate comment on the court’s deliberations