Lawyer: Punishment needed for Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook claims

By DAVE COLLINS
Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A lawyer for Sandy Hook families says significant punitive damages need to be imposed on Alex Jones to deter him and other conspiracy theorists from continuing to tell their followers the 2012 Newtown shooting was a hoax. Attorney Christopher Mattei’s comments came Monday during a hearing before a Connecticut judge, who will decide the amount of punitive damages due to the families at a later date. Those damages would be in addition to the nearly $1 billion in compensatory damages a jury ordered Jones to pay the families last month. Jones has bashed the trial as unfair and an assault on free speech rights. His lawyer, Norm Pattis, said any punitive damages should be minimal.