On Wednesday right-wing media barker Alex Jones learned that his lawyers had accidentally sent the prosecution in his defamation trial a copy of his cell phone records. “You know what perjury is, right?” the plaintiffs’ lawyer asked as Jones tried to stumble backwards out of more crimes. Now one of the absolute wildest moments in a modern courtroom has been immortalized forever in courtroom drama’s best gaming adaptation: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.
To lay out the scene in case you somehow missed it yesterday: Alex Jones was on the stand on the last day of his first defamation trial brought by two parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting. Jones is accused of running false reports for years that the shooting was a hoax and the parents were liars.
In a surprise 11th-hour twist, the parents’ lawyer revealed that Jones’ attorneys had accidently sent him a digital copy of his phone with every text message on it, including ones he had previously said he couldn’t find or didn’t exist. Jones initially tried to claim this was evidence he had properly disclosed the information, before later suggesting he had no idea what was going on because “I’m not a tech guy.”
And now, while the jury deliberates on up to $150 million in damages, video game animator Eji on YouTube has provided the perfect Phoenix Wright reenactment of the exchange:
While Jones tried to settle with the families for $120,000 a piece back in March, and has claimed the lawsuits will destroy his livelihood, financial records introduced in court yesterday showed the InfoWars host was sometimes earning as much as $800,000 a day. The copy of Jones’ texts received by the prosecution has also now been requested by the U.S. House Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Jones’ lawyers have since asked for a mistrial. The judge said no.
Update: 8/5/22, 6:36 p.m. ET: The jury in the case has now awarded the family $4 million in compensatory damages, and $45.2 million in punitive damages. The family’s lawyer had previously hoped for a final total judgement of $150 million.