Judge Warns Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones for Improper Behavior Amid Sandy Hook Trial

A United States judge warned conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for improper behavior during a trial to determine how much he has to pay the families of Sandy Hook victims for his spreading of lies about the horrifying shooting.

During the Thursday hearing, Jones got into an explosive courtroom exchange with an attorney for the families. The incident prompted an admonishment from Judge Barbara Bellis, warning that they could be held in contempt if they continued to violate court rules.

Alex Jones Hearing

The warning came from a frustrated Judge Bellis as an attorney for the families, Christopher Mattei, questioned the far-right conspiracy theorist about his false claims that the 2021 shooting, that left 26 people dead, was a "hoax," prompting Jones to grow discontent and attack him.

Jones accused the attorney of being disingenuous and said that he was guilty of "ambulance chasing," descending into a rant in court about "liberals." The judge, who previously warned the defendant that some of his outbursts were a violation of court rules, reminded the InfoWars founder that he was inside a "court of law" and should follow her instructions, as per CNN.

Bellis told Jones that the trial was not his show and he had to respect the process, whether he liked it or not, he had to respect the rules. Furthermore, the judge instructed counsel for both parties to behave orderly.

She also warned that anyone who violates court rules moving forward would be subject to a contempt hearing, something that she said she wanted to avoid. The heated exchange capped a day of testimony from Jones, who had thus far not made an appearance in the Connecticut defamation trial.

According to the New York Times, during the Thursday hearing, Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie died in the Sandy Hook massacre, confronted Jones. The conspiracy theorist then erupted in a rant.

Sandy Hook Shooting

"Is this a struggle session? Are we in China? I've already said I'm sorry, and I'm done saying I'm sorry." Jones replied, as his lawyer shouted objections.

Bellis, after the jury had gone, warned Jones and his lawyer, Norm Pattis, that she would enforce a zero-tolerance policy on Friday for ignoring her orders about decorum in the courtroom. The hearing comes as Jones for years spread lies on InfoWars that the Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook shooting massacre was a government pretext for controlling guns.

But late last year, Jones lost four separate defamation lawsuits filed by the families of 10 Sandy Hook victims, who had endured years of online torment and threats from conspiracy theorists who believed Jones' bogus claims.

The sweeping victory of the victims' families set in motion three trials for juries to decide how much the media personality is required to pay the families in compensatory and punitive damages. The first trial awarded Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, parents of Jesse Lewis, one of the victims of the shooting, nearly $50 million, but Texas law capped that verdict at far less.

Jones admitted on Thursday to calling the parents of the victims "crisis actors" on his show and said that the shooting was as "phony as a three-dollar bill." Mattei accused the conspiracy theorist of patting targets on the parents' backs with his lies, the Associated Press reported.