Sandy Hook families awarded hundreds of millions in Alex Jones defamation trial

Sandy Hook families awarded hundreds of millions in Alex Jones defamation trial

A Connecticut jury awarded nearly $1 billion in damages to 15 plaintiffs defamed by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones when the Infowars host called the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax staged by actors following a script written by the government to build support for gun control.

With the plaintiffs sobbing in the gallery, the clerk read out the verdict in which the jury decided compensatory damages for both slander and for emotional distress.

The damages awarded Wednesday total $965 million -- far exceeding the award in a prior case in Texas. He was ordered to pay just shy of $50 million in that case, which was decided in August.

MORE: Plaintiffs argue Alex Jones should pay $500 million in damages in Sandy Hook defamation trial

The jury also awarded attorneys fees and costs Wednesday.

Jones, who was on the air with his radio program as the verdict was read, told his listeners, "This must be what hell is like -- they just read out the damages, even though you don't got the money."

His attorney, Norm Pattis, told reporters they plan to appeal the decision.

"Candidly, from start to finish, the fix was in this case," Pattis said outside the courthouse. "We disagree with the basis of the default, we disagree with the court's evidentiary rulings."

"In more than 200 trials in the course of my career, I've never seen a trial like this," he continued.