(Headline USA) A Connecticut appeals court on Friday upheld $75,000 in fines against radio host Alex Jones for missing a deposition in the lawsuit by Sandy Hook families due to an illness.
The state Appellate Court said that while Jones claimed an illness and doctor’s recommendations prevented him from attending the questioning in his hometown of Austin, Texas, in March 2022, he continued live broadcasts of his Infowars show at the same time.
Jones later appeared for a deposition early the next month in Connecticut and was refunded the $75,000 in fines he paid.
The appeals court decided that illness is not a reason to miss court, if one can still speak on the radio.
“We agree with the trial court that the undisputed fact that the defendant chose to host a live radio broadcast from his studio … significantly undercuts his claim that he was too ill to attend the deposition,” Judge José Suarez wrote in the 3-0 ruling. “We conclude that the court reasonably inferred … that the defendant’s failure to attend his deposition … was willful.”
Jones has said he could not sit for the questioning because of a medical problem that included vertigo. He said his doctors first thought it was a serious heart issue, but it later turned out to be a sinus infection.
Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, said an appeal of the Appellate Court’s ruling to the Connecticut Supreme Court is likely.
“It’s a sad day when a court decides it can countermand a doctor’s orders. Wow,” Pattis wrote in an email.
Pattis had argued in his appeal brief that trial court Judge Barbara Bellis’ contempt finding against Jones and the fine were “manifestly unjust” because she disregarded sworn statements from Jones’ doctors that he was too ill to attend the deposition.
Pattis said that although the $75,000 in fines were small, “the principle and point he seeks to make here is significant.”
He also criticized Bellis for faulting Jones for not providing more information on his medical condition, “effectively asserting that when it comes to civil justice, a Court’s need to manage its docket trumps medical confidentiality and advice.”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
