Â鶹´«Ã½

World

    • Sandy Hook families offer to settle Alex Jones' US$1.5 billion legal debt for a minimum of US$85 million

    Infowars host Alex Jones speaks to the media outside Connecticut Superior Court during his Sandy Hook defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Conn., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP) Infowars host Alex Jones speaks to the media outside Connecticut Superior Court during his Sandy Hook defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Conn., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)
    Share

    Sandy Hook families who won nearly US$1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar -- at least US$85 million over 10 years.

    The offer was made in Jones' personal bankruptcy case in Houston last week. In a legal filing, lawyers for the families said they believed the proposal was a viable way to help resolve the bankruptcy reorganization cases of both Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.

    But in the sharply worded document, the attorneys continued to accuse the Infowars host of failing to curb his personal spending and "extravagant lifestyle," failing to preserve the value of his holdings, refusing to sell assets and failing to produce certain financial documents.

    "Jones has failed in every way to serve as the fiduciary mandated by the Bankruptcy Code in exchange for the breathing spell he has enjoyed for almost a year. His time is up," lawyers for the Sandy Hook families wrote.

    The families' lawyers offered Jones two options: either liquidate his estate and give the proceeds to creditors, or pay them at least US$8.5 million a year for 10 years -- plus 50% of any income over US$9 million per year.

    During a court hearing in Houston, Jones' personal bankruptcy lawyer, Vickie Driver, suggested Monday that the US$85 million, 10-year settlement offer was too high and unrealistic for Jones to pay.

    "There are no financials that will ever show that Mr. Jones ever made that ... in 10 years," she said.

    In a new bankruptcy plan filed on Nov. 18, Free Speech Systems said it could afford to pay creditors about US$4 million a year, down from an estimate earlier this year of US$7 million to US$10 million annually. The company said it expected to make about US$19.2 million next year from selling the dietary supplements, clothing and other merchandise Jones promotes on his shows, while operating expenses including salaries would total about US$14.3 million.

    Personally, Jones listed about US$13 million in total assets in his most recent financial statements filed with the bankruptcy court, including about US$856,000 in various bank accounts.

    Under the bankruptcy case orders, Jones had been receiving a salary of US$20,000 every two weeks, or US$520,000 a year. But this month, a court-appointed restructuring officer upped Jones' pay to about US$57,700 biweekly, or US$1.5 million a year, saying he has been "grossly" underpaid for how vital he is to the media company.

    Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez on Monday rejected the US$1.5 million salary, saying the pay raise didn't appear to have been made properly under bankruptcy laws and a hearing needed to be held.

    If Jones doesn't accept the families' offer, Lopez would determine how much he would pay the families and other creditors.

    After 20 children and six educators were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, Jones repeatedly said on his show that the shooting never happened and was staged in an effort to tighten gun laws.

    Relatives, of many but not all, of the Sandy Hook victims sued Jones in Connecticut and Texas, winning nearly US$1.5 billion in judgments against him. In October, Lopez ruled that Jones could not use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than US$1.1 billion of that debt.

    Relatives of the school shooting victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones' believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being "crisis actors" whose children never existed.

    Jones is appealing the judgments, saying he didn't get fair trials and his speech was protected by the First Amendment.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.

    A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.

    British Columbia billionaire Chip Wilson has put up yet another billboard message to voters, his third post outside his multimillion-dollar mansion in NDP Leader David Eby's own riding.

    In a rare occurrence, a bona fide great white shark washed up on a B.C. beach Thursday.

    More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.

    Canada

    • More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.

    • Border guards in Montreal intercepted millions of amphetamine tablets concealed in hundreds of PVC panels inside a container from China.

    • A woman from Montreal's South Shore appeared in court on Friday on charges of aggravated assault after allegedly scalding a 10-year-old boy with boiling water more than one week ago.

    • A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    • This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

    • Two sisters from Ontario travelled to Newfoundland to spend time with their mom after they learned she lost $20,000 to a romance scam.

    Sports

    Autos

    • Elon Musk unveils his 'Cybercab' robotaxi

      Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company’s self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population – that he once again promised would be available within a few years.

    • video

      video

      Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.

    Local Spotlight

    James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

    There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

    Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

    Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).

    Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.

    A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.

    Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.

    A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    • With just over a week to go until election day, another BC Conservative candidate is coming under fire. This time, for comments about First Nations communities.

    • New research is showing the positive impact SOGI 123 or sexual orientation and gender identity resources are having in schools across British Columbia.

    • Greater Vancouver hosting multiple Northern Lights displays is part of a "very natural cycle", says UBC professor.

    • Toronto police are investigating after a reported stolen vehicle hit two homes in North York Friday evening.

    • Cindy Ali, the Toronto mother who was acquitted in the 2011 death of her 16-year-old daughter Cynara after serving more than four years in prison, is suing Toronto police and the city for more than $10 million.

    • Police are looking for a driver involved in a hit-and-run in the northeast Calgary community of Pineridge that sent a man to hospital in serious condition.

    • Calgary Public Library (CPL) locations will be closing early on Friday following a cyber attack.

    • As work on the Green Line gets ready to roll again, the biggest question about the LRT project continues to be about its route through Calgary's downtown.

    • The temporary LaSalle Causeway bridge in Kingston, Ont. will be fully closed on Tuesday to create temporary access for marine traffic, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

    • A Manotick business has been left stunned as thieves made off with $90,000 worth of jewelry.

    • The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying a suspect involved in an alleged "possible" attempt to abduct a group of children in the Orleans area last weekend.

    • Montreal police have arrested two young adults in connection with the deadly fire in Old Montreal last week that killed a mother and her young daughter.

    • A woman from Montreal's South Shore appeared in court on Friday on charges of aggravated assault after allegedly scalding a 10-year-old boy with boiling water more than one week ago.

    • Border guards in Montreal intercepted millions of amphetamine tablets concealed in hundreds of PVC panels inside a container from China.

    • A week ago today, Lita Pawliw was on the receiving end of a phone call no mother ever wants to get.

    • Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is taking legal action against three people he alleges spread inflammatory and libelous allegations about him.

    • Alberta's United Conservative Party members will soon debate 35 policy resolutions that include banning transgender people from women's washrooms, prohibiting non-binary gender identifiers on government documents, and ensuring trans medical treatments are not publicly funded.

    • More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.

    • It's not the most auspicious Thanksgiving weather for the Maritimes as a series of low pressure systems and weather fronts move through the region bringing inclement weather.

    • Crews responded to a recycling building fire in Annapolis Valley, N.S., on Friday night.

    • Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.

    • A 37-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with multiple offences after videos filmed in a public pool change room were seized by police.

    • Thanksgiving shoppers will have something to be thankful for this year.

    • There is a lot on the line in Saturday’s matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions as a Rider win will secure them a home playoff game.

    • Regina will vote for a new mayor, city council and public and separate school board trustees on Nov. 13.

    • The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party laid out its platform on Friday, ahead of the Oct. 28 provincial election.

    • Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has officially begun! Here's what happened during Friday's big Bavarian celebration at Willkommen Platz.

    • The Northern Lights put on another spectacular show on Thursday night, with shades of blue, pink and green rippling across the night sky.

    • Kitchener, Ont. native Steven Lorentz scored his first goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

    • The leaders of Saskatchewan’s two major political parties are sharing their plans to tackle the growing homelessness crisis.

    • The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party laid out its platform on Friday, ahead of the Oct. 28 provincial election.

    • A Prince Albert woman has developed an app that allows people to lend and borrow items from each other.

    • Two sisters from Ontario travelled to Newfoundland to spend time with their mom after they learned she lost $20,000 to a romance scam.

    • An Ontario man said he feels 'devastated' after learning his identity was stolen to take out two fraudulent loans under his name.

    • Glenn Thompson packs his E-bike to make the short trip back to the room he’s renting. Just a few short weeks ago, he was living in a tent.

    • Striking union workers at Western University have voted in favour of their new contract.

    • Around 3:45 a.m. on Thursday, police said two men forced their way into a home in the area of Ashley Crescent and Ashley Place where the homeowner woke up to the commotion.

    • Grey Bruce OPP have charged a 63-year-old driver from Toronto for failing to stop for a school bus after a student was struck by a passing vehicle while boarding a bus Friday morning in West Grey Township.

    • Police say the victim of an armed robbery shooting at a gas station has since died of his injuries, and the suspect remains at large.

    • A Christian Island man is facing multiple charges in connection to the left of a vehicle in Midland.

    • A family of six has lost all their personal belongings after their house was destroyed by an explosion on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day long weekend.

    • A Windsor man testified in his careless driving trial in a Chatham-Kent courtroom on Friday.

    • A University of Windsor board member is calling for a pause on controversial agreements made with pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied part of the campus earlier this year.

    • Windsor residents are reacting to the proposed involuntary treatment for mental health and drug addiction.

    • With just over a week to go until election day, another BC Conservative candidate is coming under fire. This time, for comments about First Nations communities.

    • B.C. Conservatives Leader John Rustad says it will be up to voters to judge his party's candidates as he stood by a pair whose remarks on Indigenous and Muslim people drew condemnation from election rivals and other critics.

    • James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Local photographers were amazed by the aurora borealis display in the night sky over Lethbridge on Thursday night.

    • Lethbridge- The latest monthly report from the Alberta Real Estate Association shows Lethbridge has seen one of the biggest year over year increases in home prices.

    • The Interfaith Food Bank is busy preparing Thanksgiving bundles and has some tips for anyone hoping to cut down on their holiday dinner costs.

    • A closer look at preventing graffiti will be looked at in Sault Ste. Marie, after a string of offensive displays by one man, including spray painting anti-Indigenous language and painting over the pride crosswalk.

    • Even on an average day, the intersection of Highway 17 at Highway 6 near Espanola is busy, but it’s especially steady on a Friday before a long weekend.

    • A 34-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie who was wanted for a probation violation was found this week with a switchblade, drugs, a digital scale and $5,170 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½