Radio show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was being questioned Wednesday, April 6, 2022, by lawyers for families of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims in Connecticut, where a judge had ordered the Infowars host to face mounting fines until he appeared for a deposition. 

HARTFORD, Conn. — Alex Jones was questioned Wednesday, April 6, by lawyers for families of Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut, where a judge had ordered the Infowars host to face mounting fines until he appeared for a deposition.

Relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre sued Jones for defamation after he said the shooting never happened. A judge found Jones liable for damages and a trial on how much he should pay the families is set for August.

Jones, who lives in Texas, had defied a judge’s order to appear for a deposition in the case, saying he was too ill. But Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis said there wasn’t enough evidence that Jones was too sick to attend and ordered him to come to Connecticut for questioning and pay escalating daily fines until he did so. Jones paid $25,000 in fines for Friday and $50,000 in fines for Monday, according to court records.

Jones said in a video on the Infowars website that the deposition began April 5 and was to continue April 6. He said in the video that the families’ lawyers began the deposition by “demonizing” him for his questioning official versions of events.

“It’s just totally insane to sit there and watch this happen and to watch them lick their lips and lick their chops and think we’re going to finally shut Alex Jones down,” Jones said. “These people want to put us in prison for our speech.”

Jones’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, said tempers flared at times during the deposition and much of the questioning was not related to the school shooting.

“I had the impression watching the attack on Mr. Jones that this trial will be about something far greater than what happened at Sandy Hook,” Pattis said on the video. “The trial’s going to be about ordinary people’s ability to say I’m not buying it, I want to raise questions, I want to draw my own conclusions.”

The families’ lawyer, Christopher Mattei, said Jones has declared his “entire deposition confidential even while he and his attorney conduct media interviews discussing the details.”

“Accordingly, we are unable to comment further at this time,” Mattei said.

The deposition was held at the Bridgeport office of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. After it ended, Pattis filed a court document asking Bellis to return to Jones the $75,000 in fees he paid, which the judge said he could request only after sitting for questioning. Bellis did not immediately rule.

Jones missed the originally scheduled deposition in the case on March 23 and 24 in Austin, Texas. He cited a health issue including vertigo that his doctors initially thought was a serious heart problem but turned out to be a sinus infection.

The plaintiffs have said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his website show. Jones has since conceded the shooting did happen.

Gender-affirming medication banned for youth in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers on Thursday, April 7, approved sweeping legislation to outlaw gender-affirming medications for trans kids and advanced separate legislation to prohibit classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity in early grades — a measure that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”

The Alabama House of Representatives voted 66-28 for legislation to make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones or perform surgery to aid in the gender transition of people under age 19. The bill now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature as Alabama becomes the latest red state to debate legislation and policies aimed at trans youth.

Rep. Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, appeared to struggle to hold back his anger and maintain composure as lawmakers headed to the vote.

“This bill should not pass,” Rafferty said. “This is wrong. Y’all sit here and campaign on family … but what this bill is, is totally undermining family rights, health rights and access to health care.”

Republican Rep. Wes Allen, of Troy, sponsor of the House version of the bill, argued during debate that transgender youth are not old enough to make decisions about gender-affirming medication.

“Their brains are not developed to make the decisions long term about what these medications and surgeries do to their body,” he said.

Rep. Chris England, who also serves as chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said the measure targets already vulnerable children and essentially tells them they are not welcome in Alabama.

“You’re saying this is about children. It’s not. What it is about is scoring political points and using those children as collateral damage,” England said.

The bill would also require school counselors, nurses and others to tell parents if a child discloses they believe they are transgender.