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Infowars host Alex Jones has turned to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to halt enforcement of a Connecticut court’s $1 billion judgment awarded to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims. The conspiracy theorist said he believes the nation’s highest court will overturn the decision that has financially crippled him and his media company, Free Speech Systems.

Jones’ move follows the Connecticut Supreme Court’s rejection of a similar request. The case stems from a default judgment entered against him after repeated discovery violations. An appellate court later reduced the award by $150 million, trimming it from $1.44 billion to roughly $1.29 billion.

“No Deference” to State Court, Jones Argues

In his Oct. 7 filing, Jones told the Supreme Court that “no deference to the Connecticut judicial proceeding should be afforded,” claiming the trial process ignored fundamental First Amendment protections. He said he expects a majority of the justices to grant his appeal, even calling it “mandatory” under prior precedent.

Jones argued that the Connecticut courts treated unproven allegations as facts, instructing jurors to assume his statements about Sandy Hook were false and malicious. He cited New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) to claim the judgment violated the high bar for proving “actual malice” in defamation cases.

Jones Frames Case as a Free Speech Battle

Calling the $1 billion verdict a “death penalty sanction” on his media company, Jones said it punished his controversial speech without allowing factual examination. He claimed the families never proved falsity or malice, both required under Supreme Court precedent for defamation claims involving public figures.

He also referenced Justice Clarence Thomas’ past writings to argue that lower courts must follow existing First Amendment standards, even if some justices question them.

The Sandy Hook case originated from Jones’ false claims that the 2012 school massacre, which killed 20 children and six educators, was a government hoax staged by “crisis actors.” Jones later admitted the shooting was real.

Courts and Families Push Back

The Connecticut Appellate Court previously upheld the default liability ruling after Jones ignored multiple court orders, though it trimmed $473 million in punitive damages. The families’ attorneys called Jones’ latest petition “sheer gamesmanship,” accusing him of using free speech claims to delay paying damages.

Meanwhile, a Texas bankruptcy judge ruled that the automatic stay protecting Jones personally does not cover the assets of his media company, Free Speech Systems, allowing families to continue collection efforts.