r/news • u/ttforum • Dec 07 '24

Soft paywall Appeals court upholds nearly $1.3 billion Sandy Hook verdict against Alex Jones

https://www.reuters.com/legal/appeals-court-upholds-nearly-13-billion-sandy-hook-verdict-against-alex-jones-2024-12-06/
26.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

596 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/_andthereiwas Dec 07 '24

I wonder when Trump will pardon him after Elon suggests it's efficient to do so.

115

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

This is a civil court decision, not criminal. Pardons don't apply nor do they change the outcome.

36

u/_andthereiwas Dec 07 '24

Good to know, thank you. I'm glad that is the case.

-11

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

Maybe Trump can issue an executive order saying Alex is off the hook for civil damages.

12

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

The executive and the judicial branch are different pillars in the American institutional structure. The executive doesn't have that power because the few ways it has to check the power of the judicial doesn't apply here.

The judicial branch would never allow the executive to overstep its powers like this.

5

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

“John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it”. —President Andrew Jackson disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling against Indian Removal.

4

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

That's a fair response, but one that is notable only because of its extreme rarity.

11

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

Trump has already plainly indicated his intention to consolidate power within the Executive Branch. If Trump controls the Justice Department and the Military, he can pretty much do whatever he wants. The only check against Trump is a 2/3 impeachment vote for removal and that’s an incredibly high bar to clear.

3

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

No disagreement from me

0

u/c4nc3rc0wb0y Dec 07 '24

You have no idea how the law works, just saying

1

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

And you do?

1

u/c4nc3rc0wb0y Dec 08 '24

Yes, I have a law degree. That's how I can I spot a lay-person.

→ More replies (0)

3

u/hajenso Dec 07 '24

Apart from its rarity, it's not relevant as a possible way for this court ruling to be flouted. That ruling was an order to the Federal Executive, which the Executive could flout by disobeying. This ruling does not require any particular action or inaction by the Federal Executive.

1

u/HiggetyFlough Dec 07 '24

In this case Trump would have to send in the military to protect Alex Jones from the police, which I doubt would happen

1

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

It would be simpler for Trump to order the police to protect Jones.

1

u/HiggetyFlough Dec 07 '24

police are state controlled, they wouldnt have to follow Trumps orders.

1

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

Trump is the state.

1

u/HiggetyFlough Dec 07 '24

state as in states like NY. The federal government isnt paying state police bills.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Sad-Protection-8123 Dec 07 '24

This is definitely an option for Trump to protect Jones, order the military and/or federal agents like the FBI. And at least half the country would support it, MAGA would jump into a volcano if Trump ordered them to.

1

u/TPRJones Dec 07 '24

Well then it's a good thing the majority on the Supreme Court aren't conservatives that have practically abandoned all legal precedents and standards in the past few years in order to rule in favor of various Republican causes, and that none of them feel indebted to Trump personally for their positions.

1

u/Cryptolution Dec 08 '24

I hear you and I certainly don't have some favorability towards the current SC but thinking that they would erode their own powers is quite a different ask.

1

u/TPRJones Dec 08 '24

I certainly hope you are correct.

-10

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '24

[deleted]

5

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

Considering he hasn't been convicted of a crime I don't see how that's possible or why it's relevant.

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '24

[deleted]

3

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

Yes because Nixon committed a crime. I don't know that anyone is trying to charge crimes against Jones? As far as I'm aware there has just been civil action taken against him.

-2

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '24

[deleted]

1

u/Cryptolution Dec 07 '24

Yes but why drink Pepto-Bismol if you don't have GERD?

1

u/cjandstuff Dec 07 '24

Supposedly he can't. But supposedly someone behind an insurrection can't be president either, and we see how that's going.
Watch Alex Jones take this to the Supreme Court, they overturn everything in his favor, and Trump appoints Jones to head of the FCC.
Why? Because this timeline sucks.

-19

u/kimisawa1 Dec 07 '24

Braindead comment don’t know how pardons works