Sandy Hook lawyer says Jones' team accidentally sent 'entire digital copy' of Jones' phone
In quite the courtroom climax, a lawyer representing Sandy Hook parents' in their defamation suit against InfoWars founder Alex Jones on Wednesday revealed Jones' lawyers had inadvertently shared the contents of their client's cellphone, The Washington Post reports.
While cross-examining the conspiracy theorist in the damages phase of his defamation trial beginning last week, attorney Mark Bankston — whose clients Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis, are suing Jones over his repeated claims that the shooting was a "giant hoax" — told Jones his lawyers had "messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cellphone."
"And that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn't have text messages about Sandy Hook," Bankston continued, to which Jones countered, "I gave them my phone."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Bankston pointed out how Jones had testified under oath that he personally searched his phone and was unable to find any text messages related to Sandy Hook. "You know what perjury is, right? I just want to make sure you know before we go any further," the lawyer asked.
Bankston also noted how Jones testified he did not have any emails pertaining to Sandy Hook because he does not use email, only to display for the court emails he claimed Jones "had sent to lawyers, staff and others about business operations," the Post summarizes.
District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble noted that, without evidence, it is not fully clear whether the phone was disclosed by accident, the Post reports. "But what we do know," Gamble said, "is that it wasn't properly turned over when it should have been."
At least nine Sandy Hook families have sued Jones.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
ABC News to pay $15M in Trump defamation suit
Speed Read The lawsuit stemmed from George Stephanopoulos' on-air assertion that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published