Photo Credit: Justice Hayes and WhyTheAlgarve 
Right-wing conspiracy theory Alex Jones and his “Infowars” website made millions upon millions of dollars in the last decade. He got rich from the pain and suffering of the families who lost loved ones in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Even though Jones wasn’t the active shooter, he perpetuated the pain and suffering. Jones used his “Infowars” platform to promote false claims about the shooting being “staged by a government conspiracy to infringe on the Second Amendment.”
Jones’ fortune is also attributed to the rise of then-U.S. President Donald J. Trump (R-New York) and billionaire Elon Musk.
Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who Trump picked as his running mate, praised Jones in a private meeting with other conservatives. He praised Jones as someone who “told the truth” despite his theories being debunked. Despite that, an endorsement from Vance ensures that it’s not the end of the world (financially) for Alex Jones.
After the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Jones exploited the situation by accusing David Hogg and other survivors of being “actors” who staged the event.
Alex Jones proves that one doesn’t have to actively participate in the mass shooting itself to inflict pain and suffering. He purposely diminished the pain and suffering of the victims and their families just to make money.
The court ruled in favor of the Sandy Hook families and judged that Alex Jones must pay $1.5 billion to the families.
Even if Jones is bankrupted, he can still bounce back and make more money (by continuing to espouse his lies). This is a person with NO remorse for the pain and suffering he has caused, he cares about making millions and billions of dollars no matter who gets crushed in the process.
As long as Jones receives attention, he’ll laugh it to the bank.
How do you (legally) silence Jones and others like him for good? Let’s backtrack to the 2018 Parkland Shooting where perpetrator Nikolas Cruz serves consecutive life sentences for the deaths of 17 people while critically wounding 17 others in the process.
A recent settlement was reached, a political and legal game-changer for years.
Anthony Arraeza, the lawyer of Parkland survivor Anthony Bourges, secured a major surprising settlement against Cruz. This settlement means Bourges completely owns the right to Nikolas Cruz’s name.
If Cruz wants to give an interview, he requires Bourges’ permission.
If Cruz wants to collaborate on a media project, he requires Bourges’ permission. If Cruz receives permission, the settlement prohibits him from benefiting at all.
If Cruz is the beneficiary of a relative’s life insurance policy, the money is taken away from him and given to the victims as restitution.
If Cruz receives money in his commissary account, the money is taken for restitution and court costs.
When Cruz dies, he is prohibited from being buried or cremated. The settlement mandates Cruz donate his body, especially his brain, to science.
Arraeza said the settlement was necessary to prevent Cruz from working around the law. One can call it excessive, but look at the pain and suffering Cruz inflicted.
Most of what happened in that settlement could be applied in another lawsuit against Alex Jones. The families of the Sandy Hook and Parkland victims & survivors should attempt to file a lawsuit against Alex Jones for ownership of his name.
Jones and others like him THRIVE on the attention. I’m not saying “negative attention” because there’s no such thing for people like him.
Imagine Jones not being allowed to give interviews unless the families and surviving victims unanimously give their permission.
Imagine Jones not being able to benefit from collaborating on media projects without their permission.
Imagine Jones being the beneficiary of life insurance policies or financial trusts where 99.99% is taken for restitution.
He would be forced to work a regular job and fade into obscurity. Imagine the amount of money other right-wingers NEED to spend on legal costs to overturn the verdict.
If Anthony Bourges can take control of Nikolas Cruz’s name as further punishment for the lives taken, then the families of Sandy Hook and Parkland can sue Alex Jones for control of his name.
Even if the lawsuit isn’t successful, they can try again whenever new politicians are elected in place.
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