Oliver Darcy, CNNA judge is presiding over a hearing Friday that will decide the fate of Alex Jones' Infowars in Sandy Hook families' quest for justice.The fate of the right-wing extremist's Infowars outlet could be decided on Friday as a Texas bankruptcy court hears a high-stakes motion filed by the families of the Sandy Hook victims over whether to liquidate the company.
If the judge rules in favor of Sandy Hook families, Infowars would be shuttered. In such a scenario, a court-appointed trustee would be tasked with securing the assets and then selling off Jones' media empire, including the website, studio space, and broadcasting equipment. The process could play out quickly, denying Jones the megaphone he has used for decades to spread dangerous and hateful conspiracy theories. Since founding Infowars in the late 1990s, Jones has poisoned the public discourse with toxic commentary, most notably pushing the lie that the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, shooting was a so-called "false flag" operation staged by the government and that the grieving family members of 20 child victims were "actors.
The outlet's potential demise is the latest instance in which the legal system is holding right-wing media outlets accountable for their lies. Companies operated by dishonest conspiracy profiteers rarely - if ever - admit to wrongdoing unless they are either threatened by or face legal action, leaving the courts the only real avenue for victims of lies to correct the public record.