. >> reporter: heslan and jesse's mom scarlett lewis are suing conspiracy theorist alex jones.n his "infowars" program told his audience of millions that the massacre was a hoax, calling the victims and their families crisis actors. >> they staged sandy hook. the evidence is overwhelm ing. >> reporter: the parents are asking for $150 million, saying they've endured years of harassment and threat by jones' followers. >> alex started this fight and i'll finish this fight. >> reporter: calling jones a coward for not being present for his testimony, but jones was in court this afternoon as scarlett lewis, the boy's mother took the stand and addressed him directly. >> my son existed. you're still on your show today trying to say that i'm implying that i'm an actress. >> raise your right hand. >> reporter: late today jones took the stand in his own defense. >> i never intentionally tried to hurt you. the internet had a loft questions. i had questions. >> reporter: jones put his company into bankruptcy last week, which may delay two other damage trials scheduled for september. janet s

at the end of that day, after the judge went back to her chambers, alex jones approached scarlett lewisshook their hands. i think scarlett offered him a bottle of water because he had been coughing throughout his testimony. and he was telling them that he was sorry. the lawyers kind of got into the middle of this because they see this as a kind of gambit because jones has repeatedly said that he's apologized to the parents, but this is always been a backhanded apology, bookended by another charge against them for being actors or what have you. >> i mean, the fact that they have to be in the same room with this person and touch his hand, you know, the fact they're willing to touch his hand to shake it when he reaches out to them says a lot about them, but it says really nothing about -- alex jones has said all there is to say about him. he has shown himself to be who he is. in testimony, cold you just talk about what neil heslan, jesse's father says about the violent threats that he has faced? >> yeah. so, neil has said that people have confronted him on the street. he's gotten anonymous

. >> my son existed, says scarlett lewis, the mother of six-year-old jesse lewis, speaking directly tourtroom. >> jesse was real, i am a real mom. >> in an utterly unthinkable sign of our times, scarlett lewis makes the case that she, and her dead child, are real. directly to jones. >> it doesn't exist, in a deep state -- it's just not true. i know you know that. that's the problem. i know you know that. and you keep saying it. you keep saying it. why? why? for money? because you made a lot of money while you've said it. i know you -- i mean -- i know you believe me. and yet you are going to get -- you're gonna leave this courthouse, and you are going to say it again on your show. you are saying no, you just did it. >> on his show, today, today, he raised questions about both scarlett lewis and the boy's father who were seeking up to $150 million in damages. >> they're being been manipulated by some very bad people. almost a cause i have to be honest, he is slow. and his ex-wife's not. >> the main jones is calling slow a manipulative, jesse lu says father, neil heslin. >> >> [inaudible

listen, i imagine this has never been a lot about the money for neil heslin and scarlett lewis? >> but this is about, particularly for neil heslin, who i've interviewed at length, this is about getting alex jones to shut up about his dead son. getting alex jones who never again say his son, who was shot and killed at sandy hook elementary school, wasn't shot and killed and wasn't even a real person. this is about taking that stress, that emotional stress off his back and making sure that alex jones and all his followers realized that the sandy hook massacre was not a hoax, was not a false flag, it was a horrific terrible event. >> i've watched the parents speak in that courtroom, and it is beyond imagination what they have been through. drew, do stay with us, i want to bring in cnn legal analyst paul callan and the new york times elizabeth williams, who's in the courtroom today. she is the author of, sandy hook, an american tragedy and the battle for truth. paul, first legal answers to this. ten out of 12 jurors came to this decision. it was not unanimous, interestingly. what do

. >> reporter: heslan, and jessie's mom, scarlett lewis, are suing conspiracy theorist alex jones.owars" program told his audience of millions the massacre was a hoax calling the victims and their families crisis actors. >> they staged sandy hook. the evidence is overwhelming. >> reporter: the parents are asking for $150 million, saying they've endured years of harassment and threats by jones' followers. >> alex started this fight, and i'll finish this fight. >> reporter: heslan called jones a cowered for not being jones a a coward for not being jones a coward for not being present for his testimony, but jones was in court this afternoon as scarlett lewis, the boy's mother, took the stand and addressed him directly. >> my son existed. you're still on your show today trying to say that i'm-- implying, that i'm an actress. >> reporter: late today, jones took the stand in his own defense. >> i never intentionally tried to hurt you. the internet had a lot of questions. i had questions. >> reporter: jones put his company into bankruptcy last week, which may delay two other damage trials

but for both parents -- for scarlett lewis and for neil heslin, the jury said, for the infliction of emotional distress, now and in the future, awarding them each $2 million each. as you say, that is far, far below the $150 million ask for. and jim, i just viewed an up noxious video by alex jones that he put out on his website as he begged for money from his viewers, calling this a major victory for truth, alluding to the fact that he thought this whole trial was a democratic party run plot against him. and he is going to be unfairly treated tomorrow's punitive damage phase. but again, alex jones trying to spin this as a major victory for truth. >> he's been consistent throughout. listen, i imagine this has never really been about the money for heslin and scarlett lewis. >> what this is about, in particular, for neil heslin, this is about getting alex jones to shut up about his did son. getting alex schoen's to never again say his son, who was shot and killed at sandy hook elementary school, wasn't shot and killed. and wasn't even a real person. this is about taking that stress, that

this is jesse's mother, scarlett lewis, confronting alex jones as she testified. >> my son existed. your show today trying to say i am implying that i am an actress, that i am deep state. truth is so vital to our world. truth is what we based our reality on. we have to agree on that to have a civil society. sandy hook is a hard truth. nobody would ever want to believe that 26 kids could be murdered. amy: for more, we're joined by "new york times" reporter elizabeth williamson who covered the this latest alex jones trail -- trial, as well as many others, and is the author of the new book "sandy hook: an american tragedy and the battle for truth." welcome to democracy now! you are in the austin, texas, courtroom, what, like 10 feet from alex jones during jury instruction? as you wrote the book, spent a good deal of time with the family members of those little children and other staff at sandy hook who were murdered. talk about what you felt was most significant about this trial and that particular moment when you have the mother confronting alex jones saying, "i am not a crisis actres

and when scarlett lewis had the opportunity after lunch to speak directly to him one of the things she'm real. my child was real. i gave birth. there are records to all of this. she said i want you to stop doing it to him and directly said to him you're going to do this again and he shook his head no and she said but you just did it this morning. you just did it today. >> when she's talking about the pain of being -- having a child shot in the forehead and then the pain compounded by someone saying it's a hoax, it's unbelievable to hear her have to say that. >> yeah. >> you just can't get away from this stuff but the parkland shooter's trial is continuing today and we heard tearful testimony from grieving parents. this is some of it. >> i still look over at the passenger's seat and reach over and pretend i'm touching his cheek or putting my hand on his shoulder. >> our hearts will forever be broken. we will always live with excruciating pain. >> she was supposed to get married and i was going to -- my father/daughter dance. >> the jury here is deciding if he gets the death penalty or i

and to parents, neil has linen scarlett lewis. they lost a child in the shooting. and they said because of these conspiracy theories and assets misinformation spread, they suffered death threats, harassment, their personal details being shared online. and they, the, their lawyers said that james had created a massive campaign of law, is that targeted these families and also made money in the process. okay. and it's, i guess we're going to have to really see whether this is going to actually stop him. the fact he's being forced to pay almost $50000000.00 in this defamation case. thank you very much for that shorter i'll d w reporter, bring out bring you up to speed on this trial involving alex jones. thank you and to sport. now the bundle lee is back with the bank by an unique, thrashed and trust frankfurt, 61 in the 1st match of the season, the opening fixture peter, the reigning champions against the road for league windows. it was a decidedly unbalanced if it finds roads of reclaiming the so called mice. a charlotte began in frankfort and the home fans hoped to s

on top of the $4.1 million they had already ordered him to pay to scarlett lewis and neil heslin, the of 6-year-old jesse lewis, who died in the sandy hook elementary school shooting in 2012. >> i don't know what really happened with sandy hook, folks. we've looked at all sides. we play devil's advocate from both sides. but i mean, it's as phony as a $3 bill. >> reporter: this is what the defamation lawsuit was all about. alex jones' regular rants on his infowars website that sandy hook was a hoax, staged, that none of the 20 dead children or their parents were even real. >> sandy hook is a synthetic, completely fake in my view manufactured. >> jesse was real. i am a real mom. i know you know that. that's the problem. >> reporter: the road to a reckoning for alex jones has been as ugly and wild a ride as last week's trial turned out to be. >> i can't even describe the last 9 1/2 years of the living hell that i and others have had to endure. >> reporter: heslin described the harassment, the death threats he and other sandy hook victims' families have faced because alex jones' followers

this is how scarlett lewis responded or at least reacted to the decision handed down by a jury yesterdayn texas. >> we can choose love and that we are all responsible for one ano another. care and concern is so important, and we saw what happens when there is a dirth of that. so i hope that we all just go home tonight and everybody that's reading these articles and hearing this message and you choose love with your kids because you can, realize that you have a choice and your choice is love. >> so the big question now, what are the chances that jesse lewis's parents will actually see all of the compensation awarded by the jury yesterday. the answer is not good, at least not in texas here because of that cap that's been set by texas law of $750,000 per plaintiff. elie honig, one of our legal analysts, making an important point for what may come next for the plaintiffs. they could argue that violates their constitutional right to a fair trial, and that would eventually end up in the texas supreme court, which may not look favorably on this particular case but it is an argument that worked

jones was in court as scarlett lewis, the boy's mother, took the stand and addressed him directly >> my son existed. you're still on your show today trying to say that i'm implying that i'm an actress. >> raise your right hand -- >> reporter: jones took the stand in his own defense. >> i never intentionally tried to hurt you. there were a lot of questions. i had questions. >> reporter: jones put his company into bankruptcy last week which may delay two other damage trials scheduled for september. janet shamlian, cbs news. >>> there's some breaking news in the world of baseball. hall of fame broadcaster vin scully has died. the los angeles dodgers said scully died last night at home. he was the longest tenured broadcaster with a single team ? -- in pro sports in history spending 67 years with the brooklyn and los angeles dodgers. scully was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1982 and even received the presidential medal of freedom in 2016. in a statement the president and ceo of the dodgers said, "we have lost an icon. vin scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports

. >> reporter: heslin and jesse's mother, scarlett lewis, are one of several families that have alreadyfully sued "infowars" host alex jones for defamation after jones claimed the sandy hook shooting was a hoax and claimed the victims' parents were actors. >> sandy hook is a synthetic completely fake with actors. >> reporter: now heslin and lewis are in court seeking $150 million in damages from jones, telling a jury that jones and the conspiracy theorists he enabled made their lives miserable. >> i can't even describe the last 9 1/2 years of the living hell that i and others have had to endure because of the negligence and the recklessness of alex jones. >> reporter: heslin says his family has received death threats with people even firing shots at his home. >> my home was shot up, vehicles were shot up in my yard. >> reporter: jones was not in court when heslin testified. heslin calling him a coward for not showing up. instead, jones was on his radio show saying likeody on the spectrum. r: jon in court later when jesse's mother took the stand. jones said his words were protected under

on his radio show, jones accused jesse's parents, neil heslin and scarlett lewis, of being so called "crisis actors." they were subjected to years of harassment, violence, and death threats. >> i can't even describe the last 9 1/2 years of the living hell that i and others have had to endure. >> reporter: jesse's mother confronting jones about his lies. >> you keep saying it. why? why? for money? >> reporter: finally, a decade after the massacre, jones admitting that it actually happened. it was real. >> it was -- especially since i met the parents and -- it's 100% real. >> reporter: the parents were seeking at least $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. the jury's $4 million award falling short of that. and lawyers for the family say that jones will owe a lot more than that $4 million, and the jury isn't finished with him yet. they will now decide whether to award punitive damages. this is the first time he's been ordered to pay up for his lies. whit? >> erielle, thank you. >>> we're following major new developments in the dead

jones a powered for not being present for his testimony, but jones was in court this afternoon as scarlett lewis, took the stand and addressed him directly. >> my son existed. you're still on your show today trying to say that i'm implying, that i'm an rr: late toones defee.he stand ini >> i never intentionally tried to hurt you. the internet had a lot of questions. i had questions. >> reporter: jones put his company into bankruptcy last week, which may delay two other damage trials scheduled for september. janet shamlian, cbs news. of. >> dickerson: still ahead on tonight's "cbs evening news," abortion is on the ballot for the first time since "roe" was overturned. we'll take you to the battleground state when we come battleground state when we come back in 60 seconds. you weren't made for uc or crohn's, but gut focused entyvio is. entyvio works at the site of the problem to block certain inflammation-causing cells from entering the gut. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen during or after treatment. entyvio may increase risk of infection which can be serious. although unlikely, a

scarlett lewis and neil heslin asking the jury for 150 million dollars in actual damages saying jonesortrayal of the massacre as a hoax and the parents as actors to his millions of followers made it impossible for them to heal from their child's murder when it stated that, yes, she that is an indication >> do i was blessed with some have for >> perhaps the biggest shocking twist of the trial came wednesday when it was revealed that jones attorneys have mistakenly sent the parents attorney the last 2 years worth of text messages from joan cell phone. and as of 2 days ago, it felt pretty clear in my possession. and that is how i know by sunday when you said you didn't have text message about saying courts in texas and connecticut have already found jones liable for defamation for spreading his conspiracy theories. >> that was markie. martin reporting tonight. coming up, donald trump junior and trump have testified in a civil tax fraud investigation. why the former president is accused of >> illegal financial dealings and wnba star brittney griner found guilty of drug possession in a rus

on top of the 4.1 million they had already ordered him to pay to scarlett lewis and neil heslin, the s is what the defamation lawsuit was all about. alex jones' regular rants on his infowars website that sandy hook was a hoax, staged, that none of the 20 dead children or their parents were even real. >> sandy hook is a synthetic completely fake with actors in my view manufactured. >> jesse was real. i am a real mom. i know you know that. that's the problem. >> reporter: the road to a reckoning for alex jones has been as ugly and wild a ride as last week's trial turned out to be. >> can't even describe the last nine and a half years of the living hell that i and others have had to endure. >> reporter: heslin described the harassment, the death threats he and other sandy hook victims' families have faced because alex jones' followers believed him. >> i have done things that are wrongnd a i didn't do it on purpose and i apologize. >> reporter: in one of several stunning moments in court last week a suddenly contrite alex jones admitted he had lied. >> especially since i met the parents a

. >>> joining us is scarlett lewis her son jesse lewis was killed in his first grade classroom duringndy hook. scarlett founded the jesse lewis choose love moment in honor of her son. she and jesse's father spoke at the definition trial last week against alex jones and were awarded nearly $50 million in spence tore and punitive damages. thanks so much for being with us. i know you've gone through what you've gone through last week the culmination of so much work you've been doing for so long. i do want to ask, alex jones handed you a note inside that courtroom. what did it say? >> he did. on the last day before the punitive damages he handed both neil and i a note and it basically said that he was very truly sorry and that he extended an olive branch and wanted to work with the choose love movement to bring more love into schools, homes and communities around the world. >> do you buy it? >> well, i'm waiting. i have hope. >> you looked into his eye in that courtroom. what did you see? >> i saw something that i didn't expect. i saw a very lonely person. i saw somebody with a huge void

i want to take you back to earlier this week when scarlett lewis, jesse's mother, faced jones and toldout her family and the families of so many other sandy hook victims have been tormented because of his lies, but the way she described it, that her 6-year-old son's memory was basically tarnished by the lies that he peddled. >> my son existed, jesse was real. i am a real mom. there's records of jesse's birth, of me. i mean, i have a history. and there's nothing that you could have found, because it doesn't exist, that i'm deep state. it's just not true. >> reporter: so the fact that the jury found him at least economically liable or at least financially liable, that's certainly one victory for jesse lewis' family. but the other is the fact that his lies that were potentially exposed here, that alex jones' lies were exposed in an open court. now, the next chapter of the story is just when the parents will actually be compensated. texas law capping the amount at about $750,000 per plaintiff, that is far below the $49 million that were awarded yesterday. so it will be interesting to see e

so, remember, we were talking yesterday about when the parents, neil heslin and scarlett lewis, were addressing him. he wasn't there in court in the morning because he was doing his show, and, you know, railing on them and has been continually hitting a lot of this while all of these proceedings are happening, bringing up the judge, also railing on the jurors, a little push back from the jurors, too, calling them blue collar, basically trying to use terms and make the case that they are not smart enough to make a sound decision in this case when it comes to damages. it is remarkable just how open and transparent he has been in that respect and yet as you point out on the stand being fact checked in realtime. no, that's not her. yes, it is her. >> the sandy hook lawyer on hot mic says -- i'm paraphrasing -- the thing people haven't thought about yet is what happens when these messages -- when law enforcement gets these messages. two years on his cellphone takes us well before the insurrection and he was there on that day in washington. are you expecting that the committee, paul, is go

scarlett lewis spoke directly to alex jones in the courtroom, and demanded accountability. >> it seemso incredible to me that we have to do this. that we have to implore you, not just implore you, punish you to get you to stop lying, saying it's a hoax. it happened. it's like, surreal what's going on in here. >> going on for years. both parents said they faced death threats and harassment because of the conspiracy theory . they said they do not feel safe because so many people have believed alex jones lies. of course jones has now apologized and has walked back the claims that the shooting was a hoax. legal analyst danny ceballos is with us. jones may have apologized but as we heard, he went on the talkshow and trashed the man to whom he apologized and when court was over, were you watching what happened at the end? it was over, they sent the jury away and alex jones approached neil heslin in the courtroom and said maybe i'm slow maybe i'm autistic or something like that, he still coming for him, what does that do to this case? >> it doesn't help the defendant in this case. the stagger

and we just got new audio from scarlett lewis, the mother of jesse lewis, about what she was thinking as she was testifying. listen. >> you know, when i got up on the witness stand and looked at alex, i thought -- you know, i had been so nervous, i think that obvious, before i faced alex. but once i looked into his eyes, i realized, that's what jesse did to the shooter who came into his first grade classroom after just having murdered his principal and guidance counselor and he stood up to him, adam lanza, and saved d nine of his classmates' lives and i hope i did that incredible courage justice when i was able to confront alex jones, who was also a bully, and i hope that that inspires other people to do the same in their own lives. we all have the capacity for the courage that jesse showed. and sometimes it does take courage to show love, but we do all that capacity. >> that's just amazing. to think about the idea of standing up to a bully and thinking how to see it through what her son last saw before the tragedy. i want to turn to our panel now. it's really heavy to think about. an

there was a remarkable moment in particular when scarlett lewis addressed jones in court.was in the courtroom for the second half of the day, and she was talking directly to him. i think we have a clip of that. >> there's records of jesse's birth, of me. i mean, i have -- i have a history, and there's nothing that you could have found because it doesn't exist that i'm deep state. it's just not true. i know you know that. that's the problem. i know you know that. and you keep saying it. you keep saying it. why? why some for money? >> wanted it state that jesse was fake. that -- that is an indication that he didn't exist and he didn't live. he did live. i was blessed with him for 6.5 years. >> those were only a couple moments, a snippet of what happened yesterday in court. it was really emotional, and you could see the father there was fighting back tears as he testified. the trial will continue today, and it's possible that the jury might have a verdict on how much jones will have to pay these parents by the end of the week, jim. >> the parents have to just say their childr

the mind numbing absurdity, there were some incredibly powerful moments like when scarlett lewis, whose at sandy hook, finally got a chance to confront jones. >> there is records of jesse's, i mean, me. i have a history, and there's nothing that you could have found, because it doesn't exist, that i am deep state. it's just not true. i know you know that. that's the problem. i know you know that. you keep saying it. you keep saying it. why? why? for money? this isn't staged. like, one of your people said. this is a real event. it seems so incredible to me that we have to do this. >> incredible, indeed. with a character as colorful as bombastic as yosemite alex jones it can be easy to forget that is incoherent bile has hurt and destroyed real people. his ratings are untethered from reality, yes, but with each viral broadcast, in fact more americans with his hate and his paranoia. >> so, i never expected trump charging into a goblins nest, to not get some goblin vomit and some blood on it i just want to catch him -- >> i declare, in 2022, there will be a declaration of independence agains

attorney for the plaintiffs actually telling oliver that he was thrilled with the decision that scarlett lewiswere thrilled with the decision here and that they did note there are other defamation lawsuits pending. the punitive damages, that part of the trial, will be decided -- will start, rather, today so there could be more damages coming in just this trial alone. but you bring up an interesting point when you talk about other families because there are other cases pending and this is a point that one of our legal analysts made last night was that the jury may have taken into account that there are other defamation cases pending, and that perhaps they are thinking about the other families who may potentially be compensated and that may have figured into how they came up with this number. >> so potentially $4 million times 20, potentially. >> well -- >> oliver, i want you to put the $4 million in context. alex jones is a conspiracy entrepreneur, so how big a bite is $4 million out of the amount of money he's made over the past few years? >> $4 million is a lot of money obviously. >> yes. >>

>> i think for scarlett lewis and neil heslin this is sort of a moral victory.nt against him, but as they said in court, this is really a victory for truth and also a message sent to others who might, you know, be tempted to harm vulnerable people by spreading lies of this nature. >> so has this really -- is this really going to stop alex jones? as you've watched him even doing his show throughout the trial, what do you think? >> no. i mean, for someone like alex jones, as we know, there's really no bottom. he was on his show claiming victory, saying that this family loves him now and that their lawyers are using them as pawns. if anyone has used these families as pawns, it's been alex jones, who for ten years has fomented this lie that the shooting was a pretext for gun control planned by the government and that these families were complicit in the plot. he has -- he has been responsible for a lot of damage here and, you know, he's more symbolic, he's really emblematic of the spread of disinformation and false narratives over the past decade since sandy hook. h

neil heslin and scarlett lewis's six year old son was killed during that 2012 shooting.they say their pain was made even worse because of years of harassment from jones and death threats from his fans. i've never intentionally tried to hurt you. i never even said your name until this case. tend to court. the internet had a lot of questions. i had questions. we fix you. jones has since acknowledged the shooting was real. the family is seeking as much as $150 million in damages. today the senate passed the pact act, which expands medical care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in iraq and afghanistan and now heads to the president's desk for his signature. some veterans told fox's madeline rivera. today's vote is a victory. after protests and sit ins, the veterans who have been staged at the capital for days scored a win 86. the nays are 11. the motion is agreed to a bill that would extend medical coverage for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits past 86 to 11 in the senate bill puts us on a path to finally paying the cost. over war. its approval marks the largest expa

so first, let's begin with this award, $45.2 million awarded to neil heslin and scarlett lewis today. how did the jury come to this decision? >> well, the jury was given a bunch of financial information, the net worth that they thought that alex jones was worth and more importantly, as you said, this is the punitive phase. this is the punishment phase. not what damages emotionally did alex jones put upon these two parents, but how should we punish him for what he did to these parents and to make sure he never does it again, jim. which he has done over and over again to other people. so the jury was asked that question, three different questions. they came back with their sum and is the sums added up to this pretty big punishing blow. this would be about 75% of the generated income from alex jones' media empire in a year. so it is a big hit. if it holds, as you said, there are caps in texas on these punitive penalties. >> just that figure, as you say, not even all that he earns in a year, shows that there's money in the business of disinformation. can you explain what happened earlier

neil scarlett lewis's was just the first to be told. -- i have two more lawsuits we are going to be trying's a lawsuit up in connecticut with a lot of the sandy hook parents there. the lies early were turned upside down. they have had an endless sense of torment for nine years now. and these cases really are bringing that to a head. >> this almost -- you almost lost your window of opportunity, which i hadn't realized until i was reading more about this. you are representing somebody else who jones had falsely accused of the shooting. how did you get connected? >> it was interesting. it was actually a young man named mark cell phone, he was falsely accused of being the perpetrator of the parkland shooting -- >> by jones. >> exactly. and they did it by taking the accusation off of a gutter website called 4chan. -- that was when neil called me and he said, look, i have been trying to find somebody who will help me sue alex schoen's. a lot of people say it is too much, they don't want to take it on. i'm looking for a lawyer who will help me do it. he said, neal, you found one. that was four ye

scarlett lewis and neil heslin asking the jury for 150 million dollars in actual damages saying jones portrayal of the massacre as a hoax and the parents as actors to his millions of followers made it impossible for them to heal from their child's murder. when it stated that, yes, she that is an indication >> the key he did i was blessed with some have for >> perhaps the biggest shocking twist of the trial came wednesday when it was revealed that jones attorneys have mistakenly sent the parents attorney the last 2 years worth of text messages from joan cell phone. and as of 2 days ago, it felt pretty clear in my possession. and that is how i know by sunday when you said you didn't have text message about saying courts in texas and connecticut have already found jones liable for defamation for spreading his conspiracy theories. >> that was markie. martin reporting for us. >> let's check on the thursday night forecast heading into our friday. a live look outside of san francisco's embarcadero tonight. and only about an hour and a half from friday. kron >> would be reflected in your i ap

children who are killed it was lenny posner and veronique de la rosa noah's mom and neil haslin and scarlett lewis, who are the parents of jesse lewis who also died at sandy hook when they sued alex jones for defamation in texas in mid 2018. i thought this is a very interesting test of the first amendment all around and that's when i first got involved in it, but that was you know, what i went to talk to the lawyers and then i spoke with lenny. that was when i realized this is a much bigger story even then these families saga there there. they're awful saga is what is symbolic of what we are all going to live through in our communities of something isn't done. okay, what is your sense of the moral equivalency culpability of social media companies who simply claim to be providing? platform for a multitude of voices meaning we're just a benign platform, right? how is mark zuckerberg? no worse than alex jones. is it arguable that he is worse given his clear goal to profit from facilitating propaganda lies and hate. that's a good question. i'm gonna ask that one of him, but go ahead. he's never given

scarlett lewis and neil heslin say they suffered harassment from alex jones' followers, saying that the shooting was for tougher gun laws. around the globe, if you can send a message to various media in the world not just alex jones, but to all of them saying you can't to this to private people and torment lies, that you know are lies, to fit an agenda. >> jones' lead attorney says at that state cap would limit the award to 1.5 million and he plans to appeal. >> his reaction was that, you know, he'd been found guilty before he ever had a chance to defend this case on the merits, that the, you know, the first amendment is undersiege and that he looks forward to continuing the fight, freedom of expression. >> one of the lawyers representing the sandy hook parents told the jury, quote, speech is free, lies you pay for. aishah. aishah: jonathan serrie, thank you for that update. griff: just a tiny fraction of migrants crossing our tiny border have been bused to cities like new york city by texas governor abbott. it's causing quite a stir in the big apple. an update ahead. age is just a numb

reporter: jones went on to claim that's why he wasn't ordered to pay even more neil heslin and scarlett lewisnsation, the jury's $4.1 million falling short of that number but still far more than the $8 offered by jones' attorney a dollar for each claim. >> it's really, really nice to be able to turn and look at my clients and say he can't get off scott-free for this. he can't. >> and this could be the beginning for legal problems, this is just one family suing. >> he's got other lawsuits that he's facing from the other families he also has two potential areas of real trouble from this case one of the potential a perjury charge for lying on the stand and the other the attorneys for the family said that he had been contacted by the january 6th committee, which is looking into jones' role in the rally and riot that happened at the capitol, they want those text messages that his attorney mistakenly turned over >> perjury is potentially a criminal charge. >> exactly. >> ann, thank you. >>> coming up, we'll take a bit of a turn here we have that breaking news yesterday, roughly around this time, ab

show host found liable of inflicting emotional distress by repeatedly calling jesse's parents, scarlett lewishey say they faced harassment, violence and even death threats as a result. >> i can't even describe the last 9 1/2 years of the living hell that i and others have had to endure. >> reporter: jesse's mother confronting jones in court. >> you keep saying it. why? why? for money? after the tragedy that claimed the lives of 20 innocent children and 6 staff, the infowars founder acknowledging the mass shooting happened. >> it was, especially since i met the parents, and it's 100% real. >> reporter: then there was this bombshell moment that stunned even jones himself. the revelation that his lawyers sent an entire digital copy of his cell phone to the other side. >> and that is how i know you lied to me when you said you didn't have the text messages about sandy hook. did you know that? >> this is your perry mason moment. >> you know what perjury is, right? >> reporter: now questions about whether jones could face criminal perjury charges and more potential fallout is looming. the family's

especially when scarlett testified, our louis, jesse lewis's mom, it was extremely powerful.dressed every answer to him sitting there. he was squirming, he was sweating, he would not look at her, it was an extraordinary moment. >> the other extraordinary moment for those watching the trial was when it was revealed that alex jones's own attorney had, i guess, accidentally turned over his phone records to the lawyer arguing against jones. part of me is wondering, has this ever happened before. was a possibly delivered that he wanted to undermine his own client? would you make of the moment -- >> this is when we turn into conspiracy theorists. >> i don't want to become alex jones here, but what did you make of the moment, because i've never seen anything like that in court? >> that was unbelievable. just a look on his face because the brought point i think being made here, that obviously, the contents of the text messages is a source of great curiosity, including to law enforcement, but i think the really interesting moment for the families and these cases was that he had spent