Proper-wing radio host Alex Jones has begun to seem for depositions after paying $75,000 in fines within the lawsuit filed in opposition to him by relations of Sandy Hook victims over his repeated claims that the 2012 college capturing that killed 20 youngsters and 6 employees members was a hoax.

The InfoWars founder skipped depositions final month, citing well being points, however final week a Connecticut choose discovered him in contempt of court docket, ruling that there was inadequate proof to show he was not medically nicely sufficient to be deposed. Choose Barbara Bellis stated Jones could be fined $25,000 beginning final Friday, rising by $25,000 every weekday that he didn't seem for questioning.

Courtroom information present that Jones paid fines of $25,000 Friday and an extra $50,000 Monday earlier than complying with the court docket order. He appeared for questioning in a deposition beginning Tuesday that was set to proceed Wednesday, in keeping with the Related Press.

Jones stated in a latest Infowars video that the deposition started with attorneys for the victims' households "demonizing" him for questioning the official reporting of the capturing.

"It is simply completely insane to take a seat there and watch this occur and to observe them lick their lips and lick their chops and suppose we'll lastly shut Alex Jones down," Jones stated. "These folks need to put us in jail for our speech."

Alex Jones Sandy Hook Fines
Alex Jones paid $75,000 in fines earlier than showing for a deposition within the lawsuit in opposition to him over his claims concerning the 2012 Sandy Hook college capturing. Above, Jones arrives at a "Cease the Steal" rally in opposition to the outcomes of the U.S. Presidential election exterior the Georgia State Capitol on November 18, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Photographs

Nevertheless, the deposition Jones is complying with will not be for potential jail time, however for the trial set for later this 12 months to find out how a lot he owes in damages to the households. Two judges discovered him responsible "by default" final 12 months attributable to his attorneys offering inadequate proof requested by the plaintiffs.

Relations of a number of victims are suing Jones for defamation over his repeated claims following the elementary college capturing that it was staged by politicians motivated by a gun management agenda, with grieving mother and father allegedly performed by "disaster actors."

"I had the impression watching the assault on Mr. Jones that this trial shall be about one thing far larger than what occurred at Sandy Hook," Jones' lawyer, Norman Pattis, advised the AP. "The trial's going to be about peculiar folks's capacity to say I am not shopping for it, I need to increase questions, I need to draw my very own conclusions."

Final week, Jones' attorneys filed a movement to have the fines suspended as a result of they'd agreed for Jones to seem as quickly as he was out there, which they stated on the time was April 11. Bellis denied the movement, which might have compelled Jones to pay a complete of $525,000 in escalating fines over the six weekdays between final Friday and April 11.

Final week, the households suing Jones additionally rejected a settlement supply of $120,000 every, calling it a "clear and determined try by Alex Jones to flee a public reckoning below oath along with his deceitful, profit-driven marketing campaign in opposition to the plaintiffs and the reminiscence of their family members misplaced at Sandy Hook."

Jones has stated within the years because the 2012 capturing that he not believes it was staged however nonetheless contends that the lawsuits in opposition to him do not have sufficient proof to show defamation, and are infringements upon his proper to free speech.

Replace 04/06/22, 1:20 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with extra data.

Replace 04/06/22, 12:24 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with extra data.